Total U.S. business inventories edged up 0.3% in April following a 0.1% decline the previous month, as manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers increased their inventories, according to the Census Bureau.
Inventories stood at a seasonally adjusted $1.930 trillion for the month from a downwardly revised $1.924 trillion in the earlier month. In annual terms, inventories rose from $1.849 trillion.
Manufacturers' inventories rose 0.3% to $666.87 billion in April from $664.71 billion in March. Merchant wholesalers and retailers also posted increased their inventories at $630.17 billion from $629.23 billion, and $632.96 billion from $629.73 billion, respectively.
Motor vehicle and parts dealers, the biggest segment in the retail sector, posted inventories of $224.42 billion in April, up from $222.90 billion in March.
Total U.S. business sales rose 0.4% to $1.426 trillion from $1.420 trillion month over month. The inventories-to-sales ratio at the end of April was 1.35, compared to 1.38 in the same month last year.
