Business Inventories Rise for Fourth Straight Month

usiness inventories rose for a fourth straight month in November, rising 0.5%, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The increase followed a revised 0.4% gain in October, that had originally been reported as a 0.3% rise.

Economists had expected inventories to rise 0.4%, Bloomberg reported.

When inventories and sales are growing, it usually means trucking is seeing additional demand to deliver goods and restock shelves.

Inventories at retailers rose 0.9%, following a 0.3% increase the previous month, Commerce said.

Factory inventories rose 0.2% following a 0.6% gain, and wholesale inventories, which make up about a quarter of the total, rose 0.4%. Wholesale sales fell 0.7% following a 0.9% rise.