US wholesale inventories slump against forecasts

US wholesale inventories retreated in August, against expectations for growth, amid a decline in merchandise imports, which helped narrow the goods trade deficit.

The Commerce Department's Census Bureau said today, Sept. 25, that wholesale inventories of unsold goods slipped 0.2% month-on-month (MoM) to amount to $905.2 billion by the end of August, following a 0.1% hike in July and versus forecasts for a 0.2% increase.

However, wholesale inventories climbed by 0.7% compared to August 2024. The annual uptrend supports inventory investment, underpinning economic growth in the third quarter of this year.

US retail inventories — seasonally adjusted — reached $809.4 billion at the end of August 2025, up 1% on a yearly basis.