ISTANBUL 

US business inventories increased 0.5% to $2,558.5 billion in May, according to Commerce Department figures released Tuesday.

The figure came in higher than expectations of a 0.4% increase.

The figure for April was revised up from $2,545.2 billion to $2,546.2 billion for a monthly gain of 0.3%.

Business inventories, which measure the change in value of unsold goods held by manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, were annually up 1.6% in May, compared to the same month in 2023.

The annual increase in inventories indicates that consumer demand is weakening in the US as a result of the Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary tightening to lower inflation.