11.   But grocery sales at Wal-Mart Supercenters are increasing at the fastest rate in the industry.

12.   But the east has grown, in recent years, at the fastest rate in Western Europe.

13.   Consumer prices in Japan are currently falling at the fastest rate in the last decade.

14.   Consumer spending stoked the economy last year, helping it to expand at the fastest rate in a decade and spurring record profit growth.

15.   Energy and food costs showed small gains last month, and airline fares rose at the fastest rate in more than three years.

16.   Factory orders and shipments surged at the fastest rate in more than a year during August, fanning fears of inflation and higher interest rates.

17.   Housing prices have been increasing faster than general inflation for several years, and they accelerated in recent months to their fastest real rate of gain in decades.

18.   In November, the output of major consumer durables continued to record the fastest rates of growth.

19.   Individual investors are plowing money into international stock funds at the fastest rates ever, looking for big profits everywhere from Germany and France to Malaysia and Brazil.

20.   It said labor costs in the second quarter rose at their fastest rate in eight years.