US business inventories tick up 0.2% in May

US business inventories rose a little more than expected in May, according to the Commerce Department.

Inventories were up 0.2% in May following a 0.1% increase in April.

Retail inventories, which exclude autos, rose 0.4% following a 0.2% drop the previous month, while business sales gained 0.2% following a 0.8% increase in April.

A ratio of inventory-to-sales came in at 1.40 upon seasonal adjustment, against a reading of 1.37 a year ago.