The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for China Rose Sharply in July

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Aug 20, 2013, 10:00 ET

BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for China increased 1.4 percent in July. The index stands at 267.3 (2004 = 100), following a 0.8 percent increase in June and a 0.3 percent increase in May. All six components contributed positively to the index in July.

Says Andrew Polk, resident economist at The Conference Board China Center in Beijing: "An unexpectedly large acceleration in real estate activity provided a boost to the China LEI in July. However, the index has recently been volatile, month-to-month, and overall its growth has been gradually slowing. Although an improved outlook for exports will likely help to ease the ongoing economic slowdown, China's domestic economy continues to struggle."

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index^®(CEI) for China, which measures current economic activity, increased 1.1 percent in July to 245.6 (2004 = 100), following a 1.1 percent increase in June and a 0.6 percent increase in May. Four of the five components contributed positively to the index in July.

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, the Euro Area, France, Germany, 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 2013 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.

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Summary Table of Composite Economic Indexes

	2013						6-month
	May		Jun		Jul		Jan to Jul

Leading Economic Index (LEI)	261.4	p	263.6	p	267.3	p
Percent Change	0.3	p	0.8	p	1.4	p	4.7
Diffusion	41.7		75.0		91.7		66.7

Coincident Economic Index (CEI)	240.3	r	242.9	p	245.6	p
Percent Change	0.6		1.1	p	1.1	p	8.7
Diffusion	100.0		100.0		80.0		100.0

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