21.   Eventually, rising interest rates will translate into costlier home mortgages and other bank loans, slowing sales of expensive goods and curbing business expansion.

22.   For Hong Kong, where rates mirror the U.S. because the two currencies are linked, higher rates slow apartment sales and erode earnings for banks and property developers.

23.   He also said foreign investors will likely slow their sale of Japanese stocks.

24.   Higher borrowing costs and slowing sales not only erode corporate profits, they also cause companies to shelve plans for expansion as consumer spending slows.

25.   High interest rates make mortgages more expensive and could slow property sales.

26.   Hot weather also slowed sales.

27.   In its latest quarter, earnings were hurt by unseasonably warm weather, which slowed sales for fall and winter merchandise.

28.   In TOKYO, Japanese stocks were mixed, as declines in chipmakers on a report about slowing semiconductor sales offset strong earnings at Honda Motor Co.

29.   Investors blame the company for enticing wholesalers to buy more drugs than they could sell, creating an unexpected glut that will slow sales for up to a year.

30.   Its introduction slowed sales of earlier-generation products.