U.S. February Business Inventories Up 0.3%, Sales Flat

Inventories at U.S. businesses rose 0.3% in February compared with a flat reading in the prior month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. The gain was in line with expectations of economists polled by MarketWatch. Business sales were unchanged in February after a 2.3% drop in the prior month. The inventory-to-sales ratio, an indication of demand, was unchanged at 1.36. One new piece of information was retail inventories, which rose 0.4% in February compared with a 0.5% decrease in sales. The inventory-to-sales ratio in retail rose to 1.46 in February from 1.44 in January.