The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. decreased by 0.3 percent in April to 119.2 (2016 = 100), following a 0.1 percent increase in March. The LEI is now up 0.9 percent over the six-month period from October 2021 to April 2022.
“The US LEI declined in April largely due to weak consumer expectations and a drop in residential building permits,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Senior Director of Economic Research at The Conference Board. “Overall, the US LEI was essentially flat in recent months which is in line with a moderate growth outlook in the near-term. A range of downside risks—including inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and pandemic-related shutdowns, particularly in China—continue to weigh on the outlook. Nevertheless, we project the US economy should resume expanding in Q2 following Q1’s contraction in real GDP. Despite downgrades to previous forecasts, The Conference Board still projects 2.3 percent year-over-year US GDP growth in 2022.”
The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for the U.S. increased by 0.4 percent in April to 108.8 (2016 = 100), following a 0.3 percent increase in February. The CEI increased by 1.6 percent in the six-month period from October 2021 to April 2022.
The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index® (LAG) for the U.S. increased by 0.4 percent in April to 111.6 (2016 = 100), following a 0.7 percent increase in March. The LAG increased by 2.6 percent in the six-month period from October 2021 to April 2022.
