US business inventories down 0.1% in January

Inventories in the manufacturing and trade sectors in the United States decreased by 0.1% in January 2026 compared to the month prior, coming in at $2,675 billion, the US Census Bureau's report showed on Wednesday. Viewed annually, the reading rose 1%. The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers' shipments in the reported month expanded by 0.3% from December 2025 and stood at $1,974 billion. The ratio between business inventories and sales at the end of January was 1.35, down from 1.40 in the same month of the previous year.