Leading Economic Indicators Decline

An index of leading economic indicators dipped 0.1% in April, the New York-based Conference Board said Thursday.

The LEI’s decline followed a revised 1.3% gain in March that was bigger than originally reported.

The downturn contrasted with economists’ estimates of a 0.2% increase, Bloomberg reported.

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