Wholesale Inventories Decline, Sales Rise

Washington, DC, June 6, 2008--Wholesale inventories posted their first decline in more than a year, as wholesale sales rose more than twice as fast as expected, the Commerce Department said.

Wholesale inventories fell 0.1 percent for the month while sales rose 1.6 percent. That's the first inventory decline since December 2006.

February sales were revised higher to a 0.5 percent decline and inventories were revised lower to a 0.9 percent rise.

Inventories of durable goods rose 0.3 percent in March while sales rose 2.3 percent.

Overall inventories of non-durable goods fell 0.7 percent and sales rose 0.1 percent.