The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area Decreased in April

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May 28, 2014, 04:00 ET

BRUSSELS, May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for the Euro Area decreased 0.1 percent in April to 111.4 (2004=100), following a 0.2 percent increase in March and a 0.1 percent increase in February.

"April's slight decline in the Leading Economic Index suggests that a considerable acceleration in the recovery of the Euro Area economy is unlikely in the months ahead," said Bert Colijn, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. "The decline was driven by weakening business expectations for the service sector and a drop in economic sentiment. Alongside the Ukrainian crisis, the slow recovery itself is starting to impact confidence in the European economy, which in turn is hampering the growth outlook."

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index^®(CEI) for the Euro Area, which measures current economic activity, was unchanged in April, according to preliminary estimates. The index now stands at 101.4* (2004 = 100). The CEI was unchanged in March and increased 0.1 percent in February.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for the Euro Area
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for the Euro Area was launched in January 2009. Plotted back to 1987, this index has successfully signaled turning points in the business cycle of the bloc of countries that now constitute the Euro Area, defined by the common currency zone.

The Conference Board currently produces leading economic indexes for twelve other individual countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S.

The seven components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for the Euro Area include:

Economic Sentiment Index (source: European Commission DG-ECFIN)
Index of Residential Building Permits Granted (source: Eurostat)
EURO STOXX^® Index (source: STOXX Limited)
Money Supply (M2) (source: European Central Bank)
Interest Rate Spread (source: European Central Bank)
Eurozone Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (source: Markit Economics)
Eurozone Service Sector Future Business Activity Expectations Index (source: Markit Economics)

To view The Conference Board calendar for 2014 indicator releases:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/

* Series in The Conference Board LEI for the Euro Area that are based on The Conference Board estimates are real money supply and residential building permits. All series in The Conference Board CEI for the Euro Area are based on The Conference Board estimates (employment, industrial production, retail trade, and manufacturing turnover).

About The Conference Board
The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

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Summary Table of Composite Indexes
	2014						6-month
	Feb		Mar		Apr		Oct to Apr

Leading Economic Index (LEI)	111.3	p	111.5	p	111.4	p
Percent Change	0.1	p	0.2	p	-0.1	p	2.6	p
Diffusion	50.0		71.4		57.1		100.0

Coincident Economic Index (CEI)	101.4	p	101.4	p	101.4	p
Percent Change	0.1	p	0.0	p	0.0	p	0.4	p
Diffusion	62.5		37.5		37.5		100.0

n.a. Not available p Preliminary r Revised Indexes equal 100 in 2004 Source: The Conference Board All Rights Reserved