Business inventories in the U.S. rose 0.4% in November after no change in the prior month, the Commerce Department said Friday. Sales jumped 1.2% in the month. The ratio of inventories to sales, meanwhile, fell to 1.33 from 1.34. That’s how many months it would take to sell all the inventory on hand. One year ago, the inventory-to-sales ratio was higher at 1.40, reflecting an excessive buildup in production not matched by sales. Now companies appear to have a better handle on inventories.
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