The Conference Board's U.S. leading economic index released today rose 0.6% in August and now stands at 102.5 (2004 = 100).

The leading economic index "has risen for five consecutive months and the coincident economic index has stopped falling," said Ken Goldstein, economist at The Conference Board. "Taken together, this suggests that the recession is bottoming out. These numbers are consistent with the view that after a very severe downturn, a recovery is very near. But, the intensity and pattern of that recovery is more uncertain."