U.S. Sept wholesale inventories rise 0.8 percent

WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Inventories of unsold goods at U.S. wholesalers rose a larger-than-expected 0.8 percent in September, while sales jumped 1.3 percent, led by a rise in autos and petroleum, government data on Wednesday showed.

Analysts polled by Reuters projected wholesale inventories -- unsold stocks held by U.S. businesses or companies for resale to retailers -- would rise 0.2 percent. August was revised upward to 0.7 percent from an original reading of 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said.

The inventory-to-sales ratio, a gauge of how long it would take to deplete existing stocks at the current sales pace, fell to a record 1.10 months' worth in September from 1.11 months in August.

(Reporting by Nancy Waitz; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)