Wholesale inventories in the U.S. rose by slightly less than anticipated in the month of May, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday.
The report said wholesale inventories increased by 0.5 percent in May after jumping by a revised 1.0 percent in April.
Economists had expected inventories to climb by about 0.6 percent compared to the 1.1 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.
While inventories of durable goods surged up by 1.0 percent in May, the increase was partly offset by a 0.3 percent drop in inventories of non-durable goods.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Department said wholesale sales rose by 0.7 percent in May after soaring by 1.3 percent in the previous month.
The report said sales of durable goods edged up by 0.2 percent, while sales of non-durable goods jumped by 1.1 percent.
With inventories and sales both rising, the inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers was unchanged compared to the previous month at 1.18.
The Commerce Department noted that wholesale inventories in May were up by 7.9 percent compared to the same month a year ago, while wholesale sale were up by 6.6 percent year-over-year.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.