As we get in to the dog-days of summer, the temperature isn’t the only thing heating up.

• The stock market had a strong surge on Tuesday fueled by positive inflation news and an increase in personal spending according to the Associated Press.
  
• The National Association of Realtors announced Wednesday that the Pending Home Sale Index saw a 5 percent increase in June, the largest monthly gain in more than three years.
  
• Consumer confidence rose to 112.6 in July - a six-year high and up from 105.3 in June.
  
• The Conference Board Consumer Research Center also reported that consumers were considerably more positive about both current-day conditions (Present Situation Index) and short-term outlook (Expectations Index).