Wholesale inventories rise, and so do job openings

U.S. wholesale inventories rose more than expected in April, which bolsters views of a sharp acceleration in economic growth in the second quarter.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday wholesale inventories increased 1.1 percent after advancing by the same margin in March. The rise outstripped economists' expectations for only a 0.5 percent gain.

In a separate report, data showed there were 4.5 million job openings on the last business day of April, compared to 4.2 million in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.