Business Inventories Rise by Most in Six Months

Business inventories rose 0.8% in July, the biggest increase in six months, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The increase followed a 0.1% upturn in June. Sales at factories, wholesalers and retailers rose 0.9%, following a 1.2% decline.

The inventories gain was double economists’ median forecast, Bloomberg reported.

Factory inventories, which make up about two-fifths of the total, increased 0.5%, but wholesale inventories, which make up about 30%, rose 0.7%.

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