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Leading index falls 0.2%

January 18, 2008
The Conference Board reported the U.S. leading index of economic indicators fell 0.2% in December to 136.5. Based on revised data, the index decreased 0.4% in November and fell 0.7% in October.

Four of the 10 leading indicators that make up the leading index increased in December. They were vendor performance, real money supply, stock prices, and manufacturers' new orders for consumer goods and materials. The negative contributors were building permits, average weekly manufacturing hours, manufacturers' new orders for nondefense capital goods, average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance (inverted), index of consumer expectations, and the interest rate spread.