Leading Indicators Signal Continued Expansion

New York, NY, Feb. 17, 2011 -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index edged up 0.1% in January to 112.3, following a revised 0.8% increase in December, and a 1.1% increase in November.

“With January’s slight increase, following two large gains, the U.S. LEI is still pointing to economic expansion in the coming months," said Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board.

"Falling housing permits and weakening labor market indicators were barely offset by the continued positive contributions of the financial components. The LEI remains on a rising trend, with its growth rate picking up in recent months. However, current economic conditions, as measured by the coincident economic index, while improving slowly, remain weak.”

Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein noted that the economy gained some momentum in late fall, he expects that trend will continue. The index is up 3.0% over the last six months, which he said signals continued expansion.