21.   Yet cool summer weather and smaller bonuses are hurting spending and stranding companies with higher inventories.

22.   Would you get higher inventory velocity or lower velocity?

23.   Yet even as manufacturers boost output, some economists are concerned that consumer demand will slacken, leaving companies with higher inventories.

24.   But Ballew said GM needed a slightly higher inventory than its competitors because it has the most brands and the most models.

25.   Company officials said the continuing economic downturn reduced demand for technology products in the fourth quarter as customers reacted to weakening demand and higher inventories.

26.   Higher inventories, less government spending and lower corporate investment in factories will continue to drag on growth, it said.

27.   Results also were affected by higher inventories at steel service centers.

28.   Stocks of companies that make fiber optic networking equipment fell after Merrill Lynch downgraded the sector, citing higher inventories that could cut into future sales.

29.   Casio attributed the sharp drop in profit to higher inventories of audio and video equipment in the United States and a large decline in prices of liquid crystal displays.