The Conference Board News Release (03/22/12)

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.7% in February to 95.5, following a 0.2% increase in January and a 0.5% increase in December. Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at the Conference Board, says: “continued broad-based gains in the LEI for the U.S. confirm a more positive outlook for general economic activity in the first half of 2012, although still subdued consumer expectations and the purchasing managers’ index for new orders held the LEI back in February. The board’s measure of current economic conditions has also been rising as employment, income, and sales data all continue to improve. Industrial production, however, has not yet picked up strongly.”