U.S. Wholesale Inventories Stall in August – Here's What It Means

U.S. wholesale inventories hit pause in August, defying economist expectations with a near-flat reading instead of the anticipated 0.2% dip.

The breakdown:

• Durable goods inventories: +0.1%
• Non-durable goods inventories: -0.1%
• Net result: virtually unchanged

Meanwhile, wholesale sales kept modest momentum alive, edging up 0.1% after July’s stronger 1.3% gain. Durable goods sales outpaced at +0.3%, though non-durable sales retreated -0.1%.

Key takeaway: The inventories-to-sales ratio held steady at 1.28, suggesting wholesalers are managing supply reasonably well despite mixed demand signals. This stability contrasts with earlier softness in the economic data, hinting the wholesale sector may be stabilizing even as broader growth questions linger.

For traders watching macro headwinds, this is a yellow light rather than red – not alarming, but worth monitoring as we head into the final quarter.