US Wholesale Inventories Rise 0.5% but Miss Revised Estimate

On Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau released the August wholesale trade report. U.S. wholesale inventories rose 0.5% to $964.2 billion, below the initial 0.7% estimate. The gain followed a 1.4% rise in July. Inventories were up 6.4% from a year earlier and have increased for seven consecutive months. Durable-goods inventories rose 0.8%. Nondurable-goods inventories were unchanged, with petroleum inventories falling 3.9%. Wholesale sales rose 1.8% in August to $817.5 billion after a 1.0% rise in July. The inventory-to-sales ratio was 1.18 months in August, down from 1.19 months in July. Rated coverage shows no left-rated outlets, two center-rated outlets, and one right-rated outlet. Center-rated headlines stressed the downward revision from the advance estimate and growth lower than expected. The right-rated outlet foregrounded that inventories growth in August was revised lower. Inventories have now risen for seven straight months.