BUSINESS MEMO: CIGARETTE PRICES

The maker of Winston and Camel cigarettes boosted its wholesale prices by 4 percent in a move analysts said could add about a nickel to the retail price of a pack of cigarettes.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., the nation's second-biggest tobacco marketer, informed its customers it was boosting its prices to offset rising costs. It was the first increase in cigarette prices since last April.

Philip Morris USA, the biggest U.S. tobacco maker with brands like Marlboro and Virginia Slims, and other tobacco companies did not immediately match the price hike. But analysts said they expected it to happen soon.