Inventories grew faster than sales during February.

Inventories rose 0.4%, twice the gain made in sales during the month, the Commerce Department reported. Analysts said the disparity could be an indication that businesses are having trouble working down excess stockpiles, a problem that could translate into weak production and employment gains in coming months. Sales rose 0.2% in February to a seasonally adjusted total of $419.2 billion. Business inventories climbed to a level of $576.9 billion following a 0.3% gain in January.