The Conference Board‘s Leading Economic Index rose by 0.9 percent in November, an increase that had the nonprofit board anticipating “a bright new year.”
The November increase was the index’s eighth consecutive monthly increase. It rose by 0.3 percent in October and by 1.2 percent in September. The index is now slightly higher than its last peak in July 2007.
Improving financial conditions, labor markets and housing permits helped boost the index in November.
The board said, “We can expect a slowly improving economy through 2010.”
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