THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)

Retail sales stronger than thought

Retail sales rose 1.1% in April vs. the 0.8% previously reported, the Commerce Department said. Separately, the March stock-to-sales ratio was revised to 1.43 from the 1.37 reported earlier. That's a 26-month high and shows firms may have a long way to go in working off inventories. The revised data account for changes according to a new classification system, which bettertracks specific goods and industries.

Car demand will return in 2002

Global car sales will fall 3.9% to 35.77 million vehicles in 2001, but grow 2.6% next year and accelerate 4.6% in 2003, said the U.K.'s World Markets Research Centre. Some analysts had expected a plunge in demand. But the center points to a prolonged saucer-shaped dip in sales. It sees car sales in North America falling 7.8% this year.

Drug sales jumped 15% in 2000

on cholesterol-fighter demand

Prescription drug sales rose to $145 billion, says IMS Health. Cholesterol fighters were the top-selling category with $9 billion in sales, the market research firm said. Of the 15% rise, more than half was due to more prescriptions written. About a fourth was due to price increases. Pfizer was the top seller, with $15.3 billion in sales in 2000.