The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Australia declined 0.1 percent in April to 129.6 (2004 = 100), following a 0.2 percent increase in March, and a 0.5 percent increase in February.
At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Australia, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.2 percent in April to 125.1 (2004 = 100), following a 0.3 percent increase in March, and a 0.4 percent increase in February.
The Conference Board LEI for Australia has been on an upward trend since the middle of 2009, although its six-month growth rate has moderated in recent months. At the same time, The Conference Board CEI for Australia continues to increase and its six-month growth has improved compared to earlier this year. Taken together, the current behavior of the composite indexes suggests that economic expansion will continue in the near term.
