US Economy

Leading indicators miss expectations in July

An employee operates a forklift at the distribution center of the Oregon Freeze Dry facility in Tangent, Oregon.
Leah Nash | Bloomberg | Getty Images

An indicator of U.S. economic activity declined in July, missing analyst expectations and suggesting some trouble for the economic outlook ahead. (Tweet this)

The Conference Board said Thursday its Leading Economic Index dipped by 0.2 percent to 123.3 in July following a 0.6 percent increase in June, and a 0.6 percent increase in May. Analysts had expected the index to gain by 0.2 percent in July.

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"The U.S. LEI fell slightly in July, after four months of strong gains. Despite a sharp drop in housing permits, the U.S. LEI is still pointing to moderate economic growth through the remainder of the year," said Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at the Conference Board, in a press release.

"Current conditions, measured by the coincident economic index, have been rising moderately but steadily, driven by rising employment and income, and even industrial production has improved in recent months."

What are leading economic indicators?
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What are leading economic indicators?

The LEI is comprised of 10 components including manufacturer' new orders, stock prices, and average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance.

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