The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.1 percent in January to 112.3 (2004 = 100), following a revised 0.8 percent increase in December, and a 1.1 percent increase in November.

Says Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board: “With January’s slight increase, following two large gains, the U.S. LEI is still pointing to economic expansion in the coming months. Falling housing permits and weakening labor market indicators were barely offset by the continued positive contributions of the financial components. The LEI remains on a rising trend, with its growth rate picking up in recent months. However, current economic conditions, as measured by the coincident economic index, while improving slowly, remain weak.”

Says Ken Goldstein, economist at The Conference Board: “The economy gained some momentum in late fall, and the latest data suggest that trend will continue. The cumulative change in the U.S. LEI over the last six months is a sharp 3.0 percent, signaling continued expansion.”

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for the U.S. increased 0.1 percent in January to 102.1 (2004 = 100), following a revised 0.3 percent increase in December, and a 0.2 percent increase in November. The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index® (LAG) declined 0.1 percent in January to 107.9 (2004 = 100), following a 0.2 percent increase in December, and a 0.3 percent decline in November.