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2008 Economic Calendar |
A composite index of ten economic indicators that should lead overall economic activity. This indicator was initially compiled by the Commerce Department but is now compiled and produced by The Conference Board. It has been revised many times in the past 30 years - particularly when it has not done a good job of predicting turning points. Why Investors Care
| Released on 8/20/07 For Jul 2007 | ||||||||||||
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Highlights
The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators rose 0.4 percent in July vs. a decline of 0.3 percent in June. A rise in consumer confidence and a slowing in vendor performance were the top positives in July (note that early indications in August point to a steep drop in consumer confidence). Building permits were July's biggest negative. Stock prices were a slight positive in the month while the spread between the 10-year Treasury and the federal funds rate was a negative. Today's report, given what's happened in the markets this month, is old news.
The Conference Board's index of leading indicators fell 0.3 percent in June, following a 0.2 percent rise in May. More recently, housing permits have declined further - likely the key negative component for July. On the plus side, the S&P 500 index was still positive at that time, the 10-year T-bond/fed funds spread had narrowed, initial jobless claims had drifted downward, and vendor performance had slowed.
Leading indicators Consensus Forecast for July 07: +0.4 percent
Range: +0.2 to +0.8 percent
| 2007 Release Schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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