Stocks opened modestly lower on Monday as gains in consumer spending and income and a flurry of mergers-and-acquisition activity failed to entice investors.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slipped 24.60 points, or 0.24 percent, to 10,126.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 2.87 points, or 0.27 percent, to 1,061.72. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was off 8.35 points, or 0.39 percent, to 2,145.28.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)