Conference Board News Release (09/19/14)

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.2% in August to 103.8, following a 1.1% increase in July.

“The leading indicators point to an economy that is continuing to gain traction, but most likely won’t repeat its stellar second quarter performance in the second half,” says Ken Goldstein, an economist at the Conference Board. “Meanwhile, the [Coincident Economic Index], a measure of current economic activity, continued to expand through August, amid improving personal income, employment, and retail sales. However, industrial production registered a slight decrease for the first time in seven months.”

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.2% in August to 109.7, following a 0.1% increase in July. The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.3% in August to 125.1, following a 0.3% increase in July.