The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. Increased Again
LEI Rose Sharply in October; Economic Growth Will Continue through Early 2015
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.9 percent in October to 105.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.7 percent increase in September, and no change in August.
"The LEI rose sharply in October, with all components gaining over the previous six months," said Ataman Ozyildirim, Economist at The Conference Board. "Despite a negative contribution from stock prices in October, and minimal contributions from new orders for consumer goods and average workweek in manufacturing, the LEI suggests the U.S. expansion continues to be strong."
"The upward trend in the LEI points to continued economic growth through the holiday season and into early 2015," said Ken Goldstein, Economist at The Conference Board. "This is consistent with our outlook for relatively good, but not great, consumer demand over the near term. Going forward, there are continued concerns about slow business investment and lackluster income growth."
The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for the U.S. increased 0.1 percent in October to 110.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.3 percent increase in September, and a 0.1 percent increase in August.
The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index® (LAG) for the U.S. declined 0.1 percent in October to 124.9 (2004 = 100), following a 0.1 percent increase in September, and a 0.5 percent increase in August.
About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S.
The composite economic indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. The leading, coincident, and lagging economic indexes are essentially composite averages of several individual leading, coincident, or lagging 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 the U.S. include:
Average weekly hours, manufacturing
Average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance
Manufacturers' new orders, consumer goods and materials
ISM® Index of New Orders
Manufacturers' new orders, nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft orders
Building permits, new private housing units
Stock prices, 500 common stocks
Leading Credit Index™
Interest rate spread, 10-year Treasury bonds less federal funds
Average consumer expectations for business conditions
For full press release and technical notes:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=1
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 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. www.conference-board.org
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Summary Table of Composite Economic Indexes |
|||||||
2014 |
6-month |
||||||
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Apr to Oct |
||||
Leading Index |
103.6 |
104.3 |
r |
105.2 |
p |
||
Percent Change |
0.0 |
0.7 |
r |
0.9 |
p |
4.0 |
|
Diffusion |
50.0 |
85.0 |
85.0 |
100.0 |
|||
Coincident Index |
109.8 |
110.1 |
r |
110.2 |
p |
||
Percent Change |
0.1 |
0.3 |
r |
0.1 |
p |
1.2 |
|
Diffusion |
50.0 |
87.5 |
75.0 |
100.0 |
|||
Lagging Index |
124.9 |
r |
125.0 |
r |
124.9 |
p |
|
Percent Change |
0.5 |
r |
0.1 |
-0.1 |
p |
1.3 |
|
Diffusion |
78.6 |
57.1 |
42.9 |
64.3 |
|||
p Preliminary r Revised |
|||||||
Indexes equal 100 in 2004 |
|||||||
Source: The Conference Board |
SOURCE The Conference Board
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