Business inventories rise for sixth month in June but sales drop for second straight month

Business inventories up 0.3 percent in June

WASHINGTON — Inventories held by businesses rose for a sixth straight month in June but sales declined for a second month in a row.

The Commerce Department says inventories increased 0.3 percent in June. But sales fell 0.6 percent following an even larger 1.2 percent sales decline in May.

The weakness in sales raises concerns about whether companies will continue boosting inventories. Inventory rebuilding had been an important source of strength driving the economic rebound.