The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators for the UK fell four-tenths of a percentage point in April, the most recent month for which data are available. The leading index now stands at 134.3 (1990=100).
The leading index for the UK declined a tenth of a percentage point in March of this year after rising six-tenths percent in February. For the six months ending in April, the leading index rose four-tenths percent.
Inflation-adjusted GDP for the UK slowed to an annual rate of 1.9% during the first quarter of this year from the average annual rate of 2.6% for the final two quarters of 2004. "The behavior of the leading index in recent months suggests that this moderate rate of economic growth is likely to continue in the near term," says the Conference Board, a New York-based business research group.
