• Consumer Spending Weak - Consumer spending fell 0.1% in May, following a 0.2% drop in April and the first quarter of 2014 showed a sharp economic contraction.

• Inflation Remains Low in Eurozone - Reports for May and June show that inflation in the Eurozone is at 2009 recession levels.

• Millennials to Affect Housing Market - By 2025, Millennials may have formed 24 million new households, according to a study by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing studies.

• Oil Prices Rise - This past weekend militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continued their drive toward Bagdad, taking over numerous cities.

• Oracle to Buy MICROS Systems - Despite disappointing fourth-quarter results, Oracle, the multinational high tech company, will acquire MICROS Systems for $5.3 billion.

• Survey Shows Economic Expansion - A survey of U.S. manufacturers conducted by Markit shows that the U.S. manufacturing sector expanded in June at its fastest rate in four years.

• Oil Prices Rising - The price of a barrel of crude has risen to $107, the highest it’s been since September 13.

• Partner Names Revealed in Alibaba’s IPO Document - Alibaba Group, the giant Chinese e-commerce company, disclosed the names of 27 employees running the company in its recently released amended initial public offering prospectus.

• India Hit by Five-Month Inflation High - Though a top priority of India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, is to control inflation, it has risen to a five-month high.