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July 10, 2006 10:30 AM, EDT

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.S. wholesale inventories rose 0.8% in May, the Commerce Department said Monday.

The increase followed a revised 1.3% gain in April and exceeded analysts’ forecasts of a 0.5% rise, Bloomberg reported.

Wholesale sales jumped 1.6% following a 1.5% increase, Commerce said.

The inventory-to-sales ratio, which measures the amount of time wholesale goods went unsold, fell to 1.15 months, an all-time low, from 1.16 months in April.

That low record suggests wholesalers will continue to restock shelves in coming months, Bloomberg said.

Wholesale inventories account for about a fourth of total business stockpiles. Retailers and factories account for the rest.