Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.2%; Sales Jump 0.7%

May 9, 2006 10:15 AM, EDT

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.S. wholesale inventories rose 0.2% in March, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The gain to $366.7 billion followed a revised 0.9% increase in February. They were expected to rise 0.5%, Bloomberg reported.

Wholesale sales jumped 0.7%, driven by high oil prices, following a 0.3% increase, Commerce said.

urable goods inventories rose 0.2% following a 0.6% build. Durables sales rose 0.3%, led by higher demand for metals an equipment, following a 0.2% gain.

Wholesale inventories account for about a fourth of total business stockpiles. Retailers and factories account for the rest.