The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(LEI) for the U.K. increased 0.6 percent in May, after increasing 0.4 percent in April and increasing 0.4 percent in March. Four of the seven components made positive contributions to the index in May. The index now stands at 104.2 (2004=100).

SaidJean-Claude Manini, The Conference Board Senior Economist forEurope: "Despite the slight reacceleration of the LEI for theUnited Kingdomin May, the balance of the strengths and weaknesses among the leading indicators is even. Consumer confidence remains weak and volatile while firms are feeling the pinch of the ongoing slowdown of the global economy. And, current economic conditions, as measured by the coincident economic index, remain flat through May. The leading indicators suggest subdued growth in the near term with persisting downside risks as long as exports and capital expenditures do not gather speed."

The Conference Board LEI for the U.K. continued to increase in May, remaining on a rising trend which began in the second quarter of 2009. In addition, its six-month growth rate has picked up this year, after falling sharply in 2010. At the same time,The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index(CEI) for the U.K., a measure of current economic activity, remained unchanged in May for a third consecutive month. The index now stands at 102.5 (2004 = 100).

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