Wholesale Sales Slip 0.2% Inventories Increase 1.8%

WASHINGTON — Wholesale inventories increased 1.8% in May, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. That followed a revised 1.1% increase in April.

Wholesale sales fell 0.2% for the month, following a revised 0.5% rise in April.

Inventories of durable goods were up 1.8% while non-durable goods rose 1.7%.

Auto sales dropped 10.4% for the month, their biggest decline since a 10.7% fall in November 2008, and following a 0.4% decline in April.

Auto inventories rose 4.7% in May, after falling 2.3% in April.

The May inventories to sales ratio was 1.16 after 1.14 in April.

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