The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area increased 0.3 percent in July to 112.5 (2004=100), following a 0.1 percent decrease in June and a 0.4 percent increase in May.
"The sharp slowdown in the six-month growth rate of the Leading Economic Index for the Euro Area points to more sluggish economic performance for the remainder of this year," says Bert Colijn, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. "Although the majority of the leading indicators have improved slightly over the last six months, weakness in economic sentiment and business expectations persists amid the uncertainty surrounding the crisis in the Ukraine.
The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for the Euro Area, which measures current economic activity, was unchanged in July, according to preliminary estimates. The index now stands at 101.4* (2004 = 100). The CEI increased 0.1 percent in June and declined 0.2 percent in May.
About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for the Euro Area was launched in January 2009. Plotted back to 1987, this index has successfully signaled turning points in the business cycle of the bloc of countries that now constitute the Euro Area, defined by the common currency zone.
The Conference Board currently produces leading economic indexes for twelve other individual countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S.
