Conference Board News Release (11/06/13)
The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index for the U.S. hit 97.1 in September, up 0.7% from the prior month. This marks the third consecutive monthly gain, as the index rose 0.7% in August and 0.4% in July. The LEI is intended to provide a six-month forecast of future economic activity.
Ken Goldstein, an economist at the Conference Board, says, “The September LEI suggests the economy was expanding modestly and possibly gaining momentum before the government shutdown.” Meanwhile, the Conference Board’s Coincident Economic Index for the U.S. edged up 0.2% to 106.6, and the Lagging Economic Index climbed 0.6% to 119.3.