April 7, 2006 11:00 AM, EDT

Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.8%, Commerce Reports

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.S. wholesale inventories rose 0.8% in February, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The gain to $365.5 billion followed a revised 0.2% increase in January. They were expected to rise 0.5%, Bloomberg reported.

Wholesale sales were unchanged following a 0.7% rise, Commerce said.

urable goods inventories rose 0.3%, reflecting buildups in stocks of computer equipment and machinery, Commerce reported.

Wholesale durable goods sales rose 0.6%, following a 0.4% gain.

Non-durables inventories rose 1%, following a 0.3% drop.

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