Wholesale Inventories Rise Less Than Forecast

Wholesale inventories rose 0.8% in January, the Commerce Department said Monday.

Wholesale sales rose 2.7%, the most since March 2004.

The inventory reading was more than the 0.5% forecast and followed a 1.1% gain in December, Bloomberg reported.
 
The decline in sales left supplies on hand at 1.07 months, an all-time low.

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