The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the United States increased 0.2 percent in November to 111.8, following a 0.3 percent decline in October and a 0.6 percent increase in September.
The slight increase was good news for the end of the year, but reflects a slowing pace of improvement in recent months, according to the group’s analysts.
“The LEI increased slightly in November, but its overall pace of improvement has slowed in the last two months,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, director of economic research at The Conference Board. “Despite the recent volatility in stock prices, the strengths among the leading indicators have been widespread. Solid GDP growth at about 2.8 percent should continue in early 2019, but the LEI suggests the economy is likely to moderate further in the second half of 2019.”