The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Japan Remains Unchanged

News provided by

Jun 11, 2015, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, June 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Japan was unchanged in April, remaining at 102.7 (2010 = 100), following a 0.4 percent decline in March, and a 0.1 percent decline in February.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Japan, a measure of current economic activity, declined 0.1 percent in April to 97.9 (2010 = 100), following a 0.2 percent decline in March, and a 0.4 percent decline in February.

The Conference Board LEI for Japan was unchanged in April, and while its six-month growth rate is considerably better compared to the prior six months, it has weakened in recent months and is now in negative territory. The CEI has been relatively stable. As a result, its six-month growth rate is unchanged. Taken together, the behavior of both indexes suggests that the growth in current economic activity will continue, but is unlikely to accelerate in the short-term.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for Japan

The composite economic indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. The leading and coincident economic indexes are essentially composite averages of several individual leading or coincident indicators. They are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning point patterns in economic data in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component – primarily because they smooth out some of the volatility of individual components.

The ten components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for Japan include:

Operating Profits
Dwelling Units Started
Business Failures
Index of Overtime Worked
Stock Prices (TOPIX)
Six-Month Growth Rate of Labor Productivity
Tankan Business Conditions Survey
Money Supply
Yield Spread
New Orders for Machinery and Construction

For more information including full press release and technical notes:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=5

For more information about The Conference Board global business cycle indicators: http://www.conference-board.org/data/bci.cfm

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is an 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. www.conference-board.org.

Summary Table of Composite Economic Indexes
	2015						6-month
	Feb		Mar		Apr		Oct to Apr

Leading Economic Index (LEI)	103.1	r	102.7	p	102.7	p
Percent Change	-0.1	r	-0.4	p	0.0	p	-0.2	p
Diffusion	60.0		55.0		60.0		60.0

Coincident Economic Index (CEI)	98.2	r	98.0	p	97.9	p
Percent Change	-0.4	r	-0.2	p	-0.1	p	0.0	p
Diffusion	12.5		12.5		75.0		75.0

n.a. Not available p Preliminary r Revised
Indexes equal 100 in 2010
Source: The Conference Board All Rights Reserved