U.S. factory activity dips; consumer spending cools

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. factory activity slipped in July and consumer spending advanced at its slowest pace in four months in June, indicating that the economy had lost some momentum recently. "We expect growth momentum to re-accelerate over the next few months, providing the Fed with the necessary confidence they need to raise rates in September," said Millan Mulraine, deputy chief economist at TD Securities in New York.