Business inventories in the U.S. increased in line with economist estimates in the month of February, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Friday.
The Commerce Department said business inventories rose by 0.3 percent in February, matching the increase seen in January as well as expectations.
Wholesale inventories rebounded after declining in the previous month, climbing by 0.4 percent in February after dipping by 0.2 percent in January.
The report said retail inventories also rose by 0.3 percent in February after advancing by 0.9 percent in January, while manufacturing inventories edged up by 0.2 percent after rising by 0.3 percent.
Additionally, the Commerce Department said business sales crept up by 0.2 percent in February following a 0.3 percent increase in January.
Wholesale sales climbed by 0.6 percent and manufacturing sales rose by 0.3 percent, although retail sales fell by 0.3 percent.
With inventories and sales both rising, the total business inventories/sales ratio came in at 1.35 in February, unchanged from January.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Business News
April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.