HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- China's industrial output and investments in fixed assets grew at a smaller-than-expected rate in July, while retail sales ticked higher, according to government data released Tuesday. Industrial production expanded 10.8% in July over the year-earlier month, against expectations of a 11.7% increase forecast in a Reuters poll. Urban fixed-asset investment rose 32.9% in the first seven months of the year, falling short of expectations and also slowing from a 33.6% growth in the first half of 2009. But monthly retail sales rose by 15.2%, following a 15% increase in June. Consumer prices dropped 1.8% from the year-earlier period, while producer prices declined 8.2%, in line with expectations http://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-industrial-output-slows-retail-sales-rise-2009-08-10