By Ed FranklU.S. business inventories were flat in January, data from the U.S. Commerce Department showed Thursday, reflecting the fragile demand for goods after swings in recent months. Inventories missed consensus expectations of an increase of 0.2%, according to economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. In the last month of 2023, inventories climbed a revised 0.3%, the data said, climbing after two straight months of declines. In January, inventories increased 0.4% on month for retailers, but fell among manufacturers and merchant wholesalers by 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively. Write to Ed Frankl at edward.frankl@wsj.com(END) Dow Jones NewswiresMarch 14, 2024 10:35 ET (14:35 GMT)Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Source: Wall Street Journal March 14, 2024 14:43 UTC