The inventory-restocking rush that is tying up supply chains is also bolstering the U.S. economy. The country’s output advanced to a 6.9% annual rate at the end of the strongest year of growth in nearly four decades. The WSJ’s Josh Mitchell reports an increase in inventories contributing 4.9 percentage points to the growth. Inventories expanded faster than the accelerating 3.3% growth rate for consumer spending, signaling that companies are bringing in goods faster than shoppers can buy them. But the ratio of inventories to sales remains near historic lows, suggesting goods will still be pouring into the economy as companies try to overcome persistent supply shortages. Still, there are signs the fourth-quarter growth may fade, including freight-specific measures suggesting shipping demand is easing. Indicators for trucking's spot market show posted loads slipping this month, and industrial carloads and intermodal volumes on U.S. railroads are retreating.

Investors are certainly charged up about electric-vehicle suppliers. LG Energy Solution raised about $10.6 billion in South Korea’s largest ever initial public offering, the WSJ’s Frances Yoon reports, and shares in the world’s No. 2 maker of electric-vehicle batteries jumped 68% on their first day of trading. The run-up pushed LG Energy’s market value toward $100 billion during an otherwise gloomy week for global equities. It also pumped optimism into the market for makers of electric cars and their key suppliers. LG Energy’s customers include Tesla, General Motors and Hyundai and the supplier sees its intellectual property as a barrier to entry for newcomers. The company is the industry’s biggest player after China’s CATL, and it’s expanding aggressively in Europe and the U.S. Analysts expect LG Energy to benefit as Western companies seek to build supply chains for the growing EV sector that don’t depend on China.

Being big apparently matters when it comes to managing supply-chain strains. Electronics market leader Apple posted record results in the quarter ending last month, even as shortages of key components restrained production and hindered sales. CEO Tim Cook tells the WSJ’s Tim Higgins that Apple “saw supply constraints across most of our products,” but he expects improvement in the flow of goods this quarter. The long-term view for steady supply chains is murkier, with Mr. Cook saying “You need to know a lot of things to be able to make an accurate forecast there.” Apple had largely navigated around supply-chain disruptions before the severity of shortages finally flared last summer. The company has lost billions of dollars in sales because of the supply constraints. But the 9% growth in iPhone sales to $71.6 billion last quarter provides plenty of breathing room to get its supply chain flowing.

U.S. orders for durable goods fell a steep 0.9% in December while shipments increased 0.8%. (MarketWatch)

New filings for unemployment claims in the U.S. fell sharply last week. (WSJ)

The value of transborder freight in North America rose 25.2% in November from the year before and was up 21.3% from November 2019, (Dow Jones Newswires)

Southwest Airlines incoming CEO Bob Jordan says the worst of the impact of the Omicron variant “appears to be behind us.” (WSJ)

McDonald’s expects the rate of cost increases for materials in the U.S. to roughly double this year compared with 2021’s pace. (WSJ)

Automaker Stellantis is under fire from a key Chinese manufacturer for announcing a deal to acquire majority ownership of a joint venture the firms operate. (WSJ)

The European Union launched a case against China at the World Trade Organization over trade restrictions imposed on Lithuania. (WSJ)

Indonesia is requiring that a portion of palm oil produced there be sold domestically as it seeks to tamp down inflation. (Reuters)

A.P. Moller-Maersk will make 10 years of data from weather observations by its ocean vessels publicly available to assist climate science research. (gCaptain)

Reduced container shipping capacity on intra-Asia trade lanes is driving up rates on lanes heavy with manufacturing components. (The Loadstar)

Ocean rate platform Xeneta acquired airfreight-focused Clive Data Services. (Journal of Commerce)

Scorpio Tankers sold 14 vessels for a total of $472.2 million in a bid to shore up its liquidity. (Lloyd’s List)

GE Appliances is testing use of electric, autonomous Einride delivery vehicles within its operations in Louisville, Ky. (Industry Week)

Truckload carrier’s Landstar System’s fourth quarter profit jumped 74% to $65.1 million on a 50% gain in revenue. (Transport Topics)

Expedited trucker Forward Air is adding about 30 terminals in the next three to four years as it expands less-than-truckload services. (Transport Dive)

BNSF Railway is looking to acquire 3,500 acres near Phoenix for a large intermodal and industrial complex. (Phoenix Business Journal)

Textile supplier Unifi’s quarterly profit fell to below $1 million​ as rising costs and production problems offset a 24% gain in sales. (Sourcing Journal)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Write to him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @jensmithWSJ, and @pdberger. and @LydsOneal. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.