U.S. Wholesale Inventories Show Modest Growth in Q1.
Wholesale inventories in the US increased by 0.1% in February, while sales climbed by 0.4%. The inventory-to-sales ratio fell slightly to 1.37 months from 1.38, reflecting how long it would take a company to sell all the goods sitting on warehouse shelves. Higher inventory levels reflect softer sales as the economy slows, and businesses have trimmed production to bring inventories more in line with demand, which could also depress the economy.