The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for China Increased in April

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May 21, 2015, 10:00 ET

BEIJING, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® (LEI) for China increased 1.1 percent in April to 322.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.5 percent increase in March and a 1.4 percent increase in February. Total floor space started made a very large positive contribution to the index, while the consumer expectations index was the only negative contributor in April.

"Despite April's gain in the Leading Economic Index for China, its six-month increase rate continues to slow, confirming a soft growth outlook for China's economy through the summer," said Jing Sima, senior economist at The Conference Board China Center in Beijing. "In addition, the flatness in the Coincident Economic Index for China suggests that the series of growth-support measures announced so far this year has not yet strengthened economic activity."

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index^® (CEI) for China, which measures current economic activity, was unchanged in April at 275.9 (2004 = 100), following a 2.9 percent increase in March and a 0.7 percent decrease in February. Three of the five components contributed positively to the index in April.

The Conference Board LEI for China aggregates six economic indicators that measure economic activity in China. Each of the LEI components has proven accurate on its own. Aggregating individual indicators into a composite index filters out so-called "noise" to show underlying trends more clearly.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for China
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for China was launched in May 2010. Plotted back to 1986, this index has successfully signaled turning points in the economic cycles of China. The Conference Board also produces LEIs for Australia, Brazil, the Euro Area, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The six components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® (LEI) for China include:

Total Loans Issued by Financial Institutions (source: People's Bank of China)
5000 Industry Enterprises Diffusion Index: Raw Materials Supply Index (source: People's Bank of China)
NBS Manufacturing PMI Sub-Indices: PMI Supplier Deliveries (source: National Bureau of Statistics) Consumer Expectations Index (source: National Bureau of Statistics)
Total Floor Space Started (source: National Bureau of Statistics)
NBS Manufacturing PMI Sub-Indices: Export Orders (source: National Bureau of Statistics)

For more information including full press release and technical notes:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=11

To view The Conference Board calendar of 2015 indicator releases:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/

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. For additional information about The Conference Board and how it can meet your needs, visit our website at www.conference-board.org.


Summary Table of Composite Economic Indexes
	2015						6-month
	Feb		Mar		Apr		Oct to Apr
Leading Economic Index (LEI)	317.0	p	318.6	p	322.2	p
Percent Change	1.4	p	0.5	p	1.1	p	5.1
Diffusion	83.3		41.7		83.3		50.0

Coincident Economic Index (CEI)	268.1	p	275.8	p	275.9	p
Percent Change	-0.7	p	2.9	p	0.0	p	3.7
Diffusion	60.0		100.0		60.0		100.0

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