Business inventories rose 1.5% in February as companies tried to stock up low levels of products on hand. Sales in the month increased 1%, the government said Thursday. The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.26 form 1.25. The ratio reflects how long it would take a company to sell all the goods sitting on warehouse shelves. Low readings lately are a sign of how hard it is for businesses to produce enough goods to keep up with demand. Higher inventories add to GDP.
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