The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators increased a tenth of a percent in August, the most recent month for which data are available. Including the August increase, the index now stands at 133.7 (1990=100).
However, an increase in the leading index has not been a regular occurrence in recent months, and during the first half of this year the UK's GDP growth, adjusted for inflation, slowed to a 1.5% average annual rate. "The behavior of the leading index in recent months suggests that economic growth is likely to remain sluggish in the near term," says the Conference Board, a New York-based business research group.
