The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area Increased in July

BRUSSELS, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

The seven components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for the Euro Area include:

Economic Sentiment Index (source: European Commission DG-ECFIN) 
Index of Residential Building Permits Granted (source: Eurostat) 
EURO STOXX^® Index (source: STOXX Limited) 
Money Supply (M2) (source: European Central Bank) 
Interest Rate Spread (source: European Central Bank) 
Eurozone Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (source: Markit Economics) 
Eurozone Service Sector Future Business Activity Expectations Index (source: Markit Economics) 

To view The Conference Board calendar for 2014 indicator releases: 
http://www.conference-board.org/data/

* Series in The Conference Board LEI for the Euro Area that are based on The Conference Board estimates are real money supply and residential building permits. All series in The Conference Board CEI for the Euro Area are based on The Conference Board estimates (employment, industrial production, retail trade, and manufacturing turnover).

About The Conference Board 
The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

Follow The Conference Board  
Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

SOURCE The Conference Board

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED