Leading Indicators Rise for Second Straight Month

An index of leading economic indicators improved in May, the second straight increase, the New York-based Conference Board said Thursday.

The 0.1% increase followed an uptick of the same level in April, the first back-to-back increases in 18 months, the group said.

The improvement was greater than economists’ forecasts of an unchanged reading, Bloomberg reported.

The LEI is closely watched by trucking companies because it forecasts business activity for the next three to six months.