Leading Economic Index Declines

What do you expect with rodeo rider Ben Bernanke at the head of the Fed. Late last year annualized money growth was at double digit rates, in the last few weeks Bernanke has taken money growth down to 4.5%.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for the U.S. declined 0.3 percent in June to 95.6 (2004 = 100), following a 0.4 percent increase in May, and a 0.1 percent decline in April.

Says Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board: “The U.S. LEI declined in two of the last six months, and its six-month growth rate has eased in the last three months. The strengths among the leading indicators have become less widespread as consumer expectations and manufacturing new orders offset gains in the financial, labor, and construction-related components