MNI DATA ANALYSIS: US June Business Inventories Rise 0.5%>

--Retail Inventories +0.6%, Unch From Advance Estimate

--Total Business Inventories Excluding Retail Auto +0.4%

--Unpublished Retail Components +1.0% In June, MNI Calculation Shows

By Holly Stokes and Sara Haire

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - The value of business inventories rose 0.5% in 

June, as expected by analysts and predicted by an MNI calculation, while 

business sales were up 0.3%, a Commerce Department report Tuesday 

showed. 

     Retail inventories rose 0.6%, unchanged from the advance                               

estimate. Wholesale inventories rose 0.7% in the month, while factory 

inventories were up 0.2%. 

     Business inventories would have been up 0.4% in June if a 0.7% 

increase in retail motor vehicle inventories was excluded, an MNI 

calculation showed. 

     Retail inventories, after excluding the motor vehicle inventory 

gain, were up 0.5% in the month, unchanged from the advance estimate. 

The remaining retail components were mixed, with gains in building 

materials and general merchandise stores, but down for food & beverage 

and clothing. 

     The unpublished retail categories were up 1.0% for the month, 

according to an MNI calculation, following a 0.8% increase in the 

previous month. 

     Business sales rose 0.3% in June. Retail sales excluding food 

services rose 0.3%, while wholesale sales rose 0.7% and factory 

shipments fell 0.2%. 

     With the movements in business inventories and sales, the 

inventory-to-sales ratio was up slightly to 1.38 in June from 1.37 in 

May, but was down moderately from 1.40 in June 2016 as sales growth 

sharply outpaced inventory growth over the last year. 

     ** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 ** 

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