Quick Overview

• The price of crude oil topped $60 in morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange as Tropical Storm Cindy struck the Louisiana coast, heightening supply fears, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday
  

• The ISM index of U.S. service activity increased from 58.5 to 62.2 in June, stronger than expected
  

• Brazil's Coffee Roasters Association said that coffee consumption in Brazil was up 12% in 2004-2005 to 15.5 million (60-kg.) bags.
  

• Factory production in the U.K. was unchanged in May and down 1.7% YoY.
  

• An index of retail sales in the Euro zone dropped from 50.1 to 49.2 in June.
  

• An index of leading indicators for Japan improved from 31.8 to 40.0 in May.