U.S. business inventories rise in February

U.S. business inventories increased slightly more than expected while sales remained weak in February, the Department of Commerce said on Tuesday.

Inventories rose 0.3 percent in February, and the combined sales by manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers was virtually unchanged from a month ago.

The total business inventories-to-sales ratio, a figure measuring the time span of the inventories being sold, stood at 1. 36 by the end of February.

It is normally interpreted as a positive sign of the economy when businesses boost their stockpiles. Higher business inventories indicate stronger economic confidence and would contribute to the growth of the gross domestic product. Endite