Financial News: U.S. Leading Economic Index Edges Modestly Lower In

U.S. Leading Economic Index Edges Modestly Lower In January

03/19/2026 - 11:20:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - A report released by the Conference Board on Thursday showed a modest decrease by its reading on leading U.S. economic indicators in the month of January.

The Conference Board said its leading economic index edged down by 0.1 percent in January after dipping by 0.2 percent in December.

"The U.S. LEI fell further in January, as consumer expectations retreated again and building permits softened," said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board.

Meanwhile, the report said the LEI fell by 1.3 percent over the six-month period from July 2025 to January 2026, half the rate of decline compared to its 2.6 percent contraction over the previous six months.

"While the topline LEI continues to signal headwinds to economic activity, the strengths among its components on the six-month basis were widespread for three straight months (November 2025-January 2026), with 7 out of 10 components advancing," said Zabinska-La Monica.

The Conference Board also said the coincident economic index climbed by 0.3 percent in January after rising by 0.2 percent in December.

The lagging economic index also increased by 0.3 percent in January, more than reversing a 0.2 percent dip in December.

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