Wholesale Inventories Up Again in August

U.S. wholesalers’ stockpiles increased 0.6% in August, the 19th consecutive monthly increase, the Commerce Department said, in a report that suggested businesses are ready for a surge in consumer spending in the months ahead. Sales in August rose 0.3%, overturning a 0.3% decline in July. The stock-to-sales ratio--a measure of how long it would take to totally deplete inventories at the current sales pace--stayed steady at 1.30 months. Inventories of durable goods, big-ticket items such as cars and furniture intended to last three years or more, rose 0.4% after a gain of 0.2% in July.