SaltWire's Atlantic regional weather forecast for October 17, 2023] | SaltWireWASHINGTON - U.S. business inventories increased a bit more than expected in August even as sales surged, suggesting inventory investment could provide a lift to economic growth in the third quarter.
Inventories, a key component of gross domestic product, increased 1.0% on a year-on-year basis in August. Businesses are carefully managing inventory amid expectations of weaker demand because of higher interest rates.