U.S. business inventories were unchanged in March for a second consecutive month, while their sales fell sharply, the government reported Monday. The Commerce Department said business inventories were flat while sales fell 1.1 percent in March, offsetting a 1 percent rise in February. A lack of inventory building could slow economic growth because it means businesses are ordering fewer factory-made goods. However, a report Monday on spending at retail businesses in April suggests consumers rebounded after a weak March, which could lead businesses to restock their inventories this spring. In March, manufactures and retailers both increased their inventories 0.2 percent, while wholesale businesses cut their inventories 0.3 percent. All three categories of businesses experienced lower sales in March, leading to the biggest decline since June.
