US Wholesale Inventories Rise Strongly, Seen Boosting Fourth Quarter Growth

US Wholesale Inventories Rise Strongly, Seen Boosting Fourth Quarter Growth
Warehouse workers deal with inventory stacked up to the ceiling at an ABT Electronics Facility in Glenview, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2018. Richa Naidu/Reuters
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WASHINGTON—U.S. wholesale inventories increased more than initially thought in November, suggesting that the restocking of warehouses likely contributed strongly to economic growth last quarter.

The almost broad increase in inventories reported by the Commerce Department on Monday also offered more hope that supply bottlenecks were easing. It followed in the wake of an Institute for Supply Management survey last week that showed improved supplier deliveries to factories in December.