U.S. Business Inventories Rise 0.9% in March, Biggest Gain Since June 2022

U.S. business inventories rose 0.9% in March, the largest increase since June 2022, as wholesalers boosted stockpiles, the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau said May 14, 2026. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.8% gain. Inventories increased 0.4% in February and were up 2.0% from March 2025. The government previously estimated that inventory investment added 0.40 percentage point to first-quarter GDP growth, which rose at a 2.0% annualized rate. The economy expanded at a 0.5% pace in the fourth quarter. Retail inventories climbed 0.6% in March after being flat in February. Wholesale inventories jumped 1.3%, while manufacturers’ stocks rose 0.6%. Business sales increased 2.1% after a 1.8% gain in February. At March’s sales pace, businesses would need 1.32 months to clear inventories, down from 1.33 months in February and 1.38 months in March 2025.