Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.9% in August

Inventories at U.S. wholesalers rose 0.9% in August, led by increases in metals, petroleum and pharmaceuticals, a government report showed.

The increase in stockpiles at distributors, warehouses and terminals, after a revised gain of 1.5% in July, brought their value to $317.2 billion, the Commerce Department said. Sales rose 1.2% in August after a revised 0.8% increase in July.