Business Inventories Rise More Than Forecast

Business inventories rose 1.1% in July, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The increase in goods unsold at factories, retailers and wholesalers followed a revised 0.8% increase in June. Sales rose 0.5%, compared with a 1.5% gain the month before.

The inventory gain was higher than analysts’ forecasts of a 0.5% increase, Bloomberg reported.

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

Higher inventories mean goods are not being sold at a rapid pace, which could lower demand for trucking services.