CONSUMER NEWS
Toyota Motor Corp. will raise prices on its Lexus luxury line’s 1999 models an average 0.3%, effective March 15. The price of its flagship LS 400 sedan will rise $200 to $53,805. The SC 400 sports coupe will increase $100 to $55,305, while the popular RX 300 sport-utility vehicle will increase $200, to $32,005 for the front-wheel drive model and $33,405 for all-wheel drive.
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Fortune Brands Inc. raised the price of its Jim Beam bourbon by 8% in the U.S., the largest increase in a decade. The company plans to use profit from the price increase to further strengthen the brand, which it has been marketing to young adults. Jim Beam commands a leading 23% share of the worldwide bourbon market.
