U.S. JANUARY BUSINESS INVENTORIES ROSE 0.9 PCT
U.S. business inventories rose 5.6
billion dlrs, or 0.9 pct, to a seasonally adjusted 592.19
billion dlrs in January, the Commerce Department said.
    It was the largest inventory rise since July, 1979, when
inventories were up 1.7 pct.
    In December, inventories fell a revised 3.4 billion dlrs,
or 0.6 pct, to 586.65 billion dlrs. Previously, the department
said inventories fell 0.5 pct in December.
    Business sales fell 20.1 billion dlrs, or 4.5 pct, in
January to 428.75 billion dlrs after rising by three pct in
December to 448.82 billion dlrs.
    The department said it was the largest monthly sales drop
on record.
    January inventories were up 8.2 billion dlrs, or 1.4 pct,
from the year-ago level of 583.99 billion dlrs.
    Durable goods inventories rose 1.4 pct to 366.13 billion in
January dlrs while nondurables inventories were up 0.2 pct from
December levels to 226.07 billion dlrs.
    Manufacturers inventories were up 0.5 pct to 277.02 billion
dlrs in January after falling by 0.3 pct in December to 275.53
billion dlrs.
    Wholesalers' inventories rose 1.3 pct in January to 140.25
billion dlrs.
    The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.38, up .07 from
December, the department said.
    January's sales were 2.82 billion dlrs or 0.7 pct below the
January, 1986, level of 431.56 billion dlrs.
 Reuter
