Who does a better job of managing money, Republicans or Democrats? Thanks to a new study, we finally have at least a partial answer. The paper, by Marian Moszoro and Michael Bykhovsky, uses Federal Election Commission data to identify equity fund managers by their political contributions. If the managers at a fund gave to only one of the two …

  Bloomberg Australian retail sales limped through June, saved only by a blast of winter weather that forced shoppers to stock up on warmer clothing and compounded by mid-year discounts. A more realistic reading of the month came in the food section, which showed even alcohol sales actually fell in June. While households got a rate cut in May, adding …

  Bloomberg Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in talks to buy Jet.com Inc., the e-commerce startup that began a year ago billing itself as a challenger to Amazon.com Inc., according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions may ultimately result in a strategic investment rather than an acquisition, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because …