U.S. Business Inventories Were Flat in September
15 November 2019 - 3:30PM
Dow Jones News
By Sarah Chaney
WASHINGTON--U.S. business inventories remained unchanged in
September from the previous month, the Commerce Department said
Friday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected
a 0.1% increase in September from the prior month.
Here are some key takeaways from the report:
--Breaking down by sector, factory inventories increased 0.3% in
September compared with the prior month. Retail inventories were up
0.2%, and wholesale inventories were down 0.4% on the month.
--The overall inventories-to-sales ratio in September was 1.40,
compared with 1.40 in August. It had been 1.36 in September
2018.
--Friday's figures will be incorporated into the Commerce
Department's second estimate of third-quarter U.S. gross domestic
product, due out at the end of the month. In its first estimate,
the agency said private inventories were a drag on third-quarter
growth.
Write to Sarah Chaney at sarah.chaney@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 15, 2019 10:15 ET (15:15 GMT)
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