U.S. LEI increased in March; Solid Economic Growth to Continue Through 2018

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The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.3% in March to 109.0 (2016 = 100), following a 0.7% increase in February, and a 0.8% increase in January.

"The U.S. LEI increased in March, and while the monthly gain is slower than in previous months, its six-month growth rate increased further and points to continued solid growth in the U.S. economy for the rest of the year," said Ataman Ozyildirim, Director of Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board. "The strengths among the components of the leading index have been very widespread over the last six months. However, labor market components made negative contributions in March and bear watching in the near future."

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index (CEI) for the U.S. increased 0.2% in March to 103.4 (2016 = 100), following a 0.4% increase in February, and a 0.1% decline in January.

The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index (LAG) for the U.S. increased 0.1% in March to 104.5 (2016 = 100), following a 0.3% increase in February and a 0.3% increase in January.

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.