Wholesale Inventories Take Biggest Jump in Two Years

Wholesale inventories rose in July by the most in two years, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The 1.3% jump was three times economists’ estimates, Bloomberg reported. It followed a 0.3% increase in June that had originally been reported as a 0.1% gain.

Wholesale sales rose 0.6%, the most since April, following a 0.5% decline.

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