The Conference Board's leading economic index for Australia was unchanged in January, the latest month for which data are available. The Index remains at 154.8 (1990=100).
"The growth rate of the leading index in recent months has been slightly below its long-term trend growth," says the New York-based business research group. "This suggests that the economy should continue growing in the near term, at perhaps a higher rate than the sluggish growth in the second half of 2004, but not as strongly as the rapid growth in the second half of 2003."
