The Conference Board announced today that the U.S. leading index decreased 0.2 percent, the coincident index increased 0.1 percent and the lagging index decreased 0.5 percent in September.

The leading index declined by 0.2 percent in September, led by a large negative contribution from the money supply. The coincident index increased by 0.1 percent in September, resuming the gradual upward trend underway since April.

The leading index had increased for four consecutive months before September’s decline, and is still up by 2.3 percent from its recent low in March (about a 5.0 percent annual rate). The upturns in both the leading and coincident indices since earlier this year have been widespread.

The upturn in the leading index since March has already been followed by a pickup in economic growth (both real GDP and the coincident index) and other signs are emerging that moderately strong growth is persisting for now. While it is not likely that September’s small decline indicates that the recent upward trend in the leading index has ended, a continuation of stronger economic growth would be called into doubt if the leading index does not turn up again.

Leading Indicators. Four of the ten indicators that make up the leading index increased in September. The positive contributors - beginning with the largest positive contributor – were average weekly manufacturing hours, stock prices, manufacturers’ new orders for consumer goods and materials*, and manufacturers’ new orders for nondefense capital goods*. The negative contributors - beginning with the largest negative contributor – were real money supply*, interest rate spread, vendor performance, index of consumer expectations, building permits, and average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance (inverted).

The leading index now stands at 113.0 (1996=100). Based on revised data, this index increased 0.4 percent in August and 0.7 percent in July. During the six-month span through September, the leading index increased 2.3 percent, with eight of the ten components advancing (diffusion index, six-month span equals 85 percent).