Wholesale inventories rose 0.4% in January, the Commerce Department said Friday.
The gain followed a revised 1.1% increase in December that was slightly higher than originally reported.
The increase was below economists’ median forecast of a 0.4% gain, Bloomberg reported.
Wholesale sales dipped 0.1%, the first decline since May. Durable goods stockpiles rose 0.8%.
Wholesale inventories account for about a fourth of total business stockpiles, while retailers and factories account for the rest.
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