Reuters Money: Consumer inflation muted in July, supports more Fed easing

	Click to View in Browser 08/15/2012 Consumer inflation muted in July, supports more Fed easing WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer prices were flat in July for a second straight month and the year-over-year increase was the smallest since November 2010, giving the Federal Reserve room for further monetary easing to tackle stubbornly high unemployment. Big retailers team up on mobile payments plan (Reuters) - Big retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores, Target Corp and Japan's 7-Eleven said on Wednesday that they are developing a mobile payment network, adding to the proliferation of options to let consumers pay with smartphones. Mortgage applications dropped last week: MBA NEW YORK (Reuters) - Applications for home mortgages tumbled last week, with demand for new loans down for the fifth week in a row as interest rates held steady, an industry group said on Wednesday. Retail sales gain hints at stronger growth WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retail sales rose in July for the first time in four months as demand climbed for goods ranging from cars to electronics, a sign that consumers could drive faster economic growth in the third quarter. Insight: What if baby boomers don't live forever? WASHINGTON (Reuters) - What if the generation that once rocked out to The Who's "hope I die before I get old" line actually does? Buffett and team bet on oil, shed consumer stocks in second-quarter (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway made two substantial bets on the oil business in the second quarter. Soros, Coleman among few hedge fund fans of Facebook (Reuters) - As dozens of top hedge funds disclosed their second-quarter stock holdings on Tuesday, few reported owning shares in slouching social network Facebook Inc. Paulson adds to gold pile for first time since 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prominent hedge fund manager John Paulson raised his stake in gold in the second quarter of 2012, boosting investor confidence that bullion prices have more room to rise this year, a U.S. regulatory filing showed on Tuesday. Investors more optimistic on growth, increase equity holdings: BofA poll LONDON (Reuters) - Investors have increased their equity holdings and slightly trimmed cash this month as they became more optimistic on global growth in the wake of stronger expectations of ECB intervention, a closely watched fund managers' survey showed on Tuesday. Negative rates and pension pain (Reuters) - One of the overlooked victims of the fall and fall of interest rates are corporate pension plans which are facing a ballooning liability even as returns stay tepid. Related Video More brokers throwing in the towel Investors hit the hold button Business News Wall Street opens flat as data weighs, Fed supports Consumer inflation muted in July, supports more Fed easing The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend