U.S. Leading Economic Indicators Up 0.3% in Decemb
Washington, D.C., January 23, 2007--The U.S. index of leading economic indicators rose 0.3% in December, the fastest pace since September, the Conference Board said Tuesday.
"The latest data...is pointing to continued moderate growth or even a little acceleration," said Ken Goldstein, an economist for the research group.
Six of the 10 indicators increased in December, starting with building permits, jobless claims and money supply. The biggest drags were interest rate spreads and consumer expectations. There were slight downward revisions for the past two months. The leading index was cut to flat in November, compared with 0.1% originally reported.
The leading index was revised down in October to a 0.1% drop from the previous estimate of a 0.1% gain. The coincident index rose 0.2% in December and the lagging index rose 0.9%.
