Business Inventories Fall Less Than Expected

ByJohn S. McClenahen Economists expected business inventories to post as much as a 0.4% decline between January and February. But figures just released by the U.S. Commerce Department show business inventories down just 0.1% to $1.13 trillion at the end February. Manufacturing inventories in February were down 0.4% from January to $441.76 billion. Consistent with these data is the growing economic sense that U.S. production is picking up -- or is about to pick up -- to meet demand.