Leading Economic Indicators Rise in June

July 20, 2006 10:05 AM, EDT

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

n index of U.S. leading economic indicators rose 0.1% in June, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

The index’s uptick followed May’s 0.6% decline. Economists expected the index to rise 0.2%, Bloomberg reported.

Fewer initial jobless claims boosted the reading, Bloomberg said.

The LEI index, which measures the likely performance of the U.S. economy over the next three to six months, is closely watched by trucking companies because it forecasts business activity for the next three to six months.