1.   Banks and insurers typically have large bond holdings, and falling prices erode the value of their investments.

2.   Bond investors prefer moderate growth and little inflation because rising consumer prices erode the fixed principal and interest payments they receive on their bond investments.

3.   Falling government bond prices eroded shares of insurers and banks, among them Assicurazioni Generali, Guardian Royal, Allianz AG and CS Holding.

4.   Gasoline was little changed, as falling crude oil prices eroded an early rally.

5.   Gold is seen by some investors as an attractive investment in times of accelerating inflation because higher prices can erode the value of fixed-income securities.

6.   Investors often buy gold when inflation accelerates because rising prices erode the value of fixed-income assets such as bonds.

7.   KNP BT blamed the falling margins on a write-off in its packaging division as sharply lower waste paper prices eroded the value of its stocks.

8.   Little signs of inflation are good for bonds because rising prices erode the value of the fixed-income assets.

9.   Lower U.S. bond prices erode the value of many Brady bonds, which are partially backed by U.S. bond collateral.

10.   Many analysts expect oil prices to erode even further.