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U.S. business inventories fall in October as sales rise

Published 12/14/2017, 10:19 AM
Updated 12/14/2017, 10:20 AM
© Reuters. Views of Exact Sciences medical supplies inventory at the United Parcel Service's Supply Chain campus in Louisville

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. business inventories fell in October amid strong sales growth, suggesting that inventory investment will probably not provide a large boost to economic growth in the fourth quarter.

The Commerce Department said on Thursday that business inventories slipped 0.1 percent after being unchanged in September.

Inventories are a key component of gross domestic product.

Retail inventories excluding autos, which go into the calculation of GDP, increased 0.4 percent as reported last month. They dipped 0.1 percent in September.

© Reuters. Views of Exact Sciences medical supplies inventory at the United Parcel Service's Supply Chain campus in Louisville

Business sales rose 0.6 percent in October after jumping 1.6 percent in September. At October's sales pace, it would take 1.35 months for businesses to clear shelves, down from 1.36 months in September.

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