Financial News: U.S. Leading Economic Index Edges Higher For Second

U.S. Leading Economic Index Edges Higher For Second Straight Month In May

06/18/2026 - 10:21:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - A report released by the Conference Board on Thursday showed its reading on leading U.S. economic indicators edged higher for the second straight month in May.

The Conference Board said its leading economic index inched up by 0.1 percent in May after rising by 0.2 percent in April. The uptick matched economist estimates.

"The Leading Index for the US increased slightly in May, fueled entirely by positive contributions from financial components, especially stock prices and the interest rate spread," said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board.

She added, "On the non-financial side of the LEI, only ISM New Orders Index showed some strength, with consumer expectations remaining a major drag."

After two consecutive increases, the Conference Board said the LEI is down just 0.3 percent over the six months between November 2025 and May 2026, a much smaller rate of decline than its 1.3 percent contraction over the previous six months.

The report also said the coincident economic index rose by 0.2 percent in May after inching up by 0.1 percent in the previous month.

Meanwhile, the Conference Board said the lagging economic index edged down by 0.1 percent in May after climbing by 0.5 percent in April.

"Consumers are feeling squeezed because everyday costs-especially gas and energy-are rising faster than their incomes, leaving many households with less money available for things like travel, restaurants, entertainment, and shopping," said Zabinska-La Monica.

She continued, "The good news is that businesses are spending heavily on AI, data centers, and new technology, helping to keep the economy growing, while consumers pull back spending."

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

Market News provided by RTTNews

RECENT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL NEWS

Fed Minutes Confirm Mixed Views About Outlook For Rates (02 hr(s), 42 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released the minutes of its June 16-17 monetary polic ...Full Story»

Ten-Year Note Auction Attracts Above Average Demand (03 hr(s), 56 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The Treasury Department continued this week's series of announcements of the resul ...Full Story»

U.S. Crude Oil Inventories Unexpectedly Increase (06 hr(s), 24 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The Energy Information Administration released a report on Wednesday showing U.S. crud ...Full Story»

U.S. Wholesale Inventories Inch Up Less Than Expected In May (06 hr(s), 55 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Wholesale inventories in the U.S. edged slightly higher in the month of May, according ...Full Story»

Romania Central Bank Holds Key Interest Rates (08 hr(s), 27 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Romania's central bank decided to hold its benchmark interest rates on Wednesday, ...Full Story»

Luxembourg Inflation Eases To 4-month Low (09 hr(s), 17 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Consumer price inflation in Luxembourg eased further in June to the lowest level in fo ...Full Story»

Latvia Inflation Eases To 3.4% In June (10 hr(s), 03 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Latvia's consumer price inflation moderated slightly in June from a five-month hig ...Full Story»

Slovakian Trade Surplus Grows In May (11 hr(s), 43 min(s), 17 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Slovakia's foreign trade surplus increased in May from a year ago as exports grew ...Full Story»