The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(R) (LEI) for Japan Increased

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2015

NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(R) (LEI) for Japan increased 0.2 percent in August to 104.3 (2010 = 100), following a 0.2 percent decline in July, and a 0.8 percent increase in June.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index(R) (CEI) for Japan, a measure of current economic activity, declined 0.1 percent in August to 98.2 (2010 = 100), following a 0.2 percent decline in July, and a 0.6 percent increase in June.

The Conference Board LEI for Japan increased in August after declining in July. Its six-month growth rate has improved in recent months, but is lower compared to the prior six months. The CEI declined for the second straight month, and as a result its six-month growth rate has been flat. Taken together, the recently improved six-month growth and widespread strength in the LEI suggests that the current economic contraction should ease in the near-term.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(R) (LEI) for Japan

The composite economic indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. The leading and coincident economic indexes are essentially composite averages of several individual leading or coincident indicators. They are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning point patterns in economic data in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component -- primarily because they smooth out some of the volatility of individual components.

The ten components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(R) for Japan include:

Operating Profits

Dwelling Units Started

Business Failures

Index of Overtime Worked

Stock Prices (TOPIX)

Six-Month Growth Rate of Labor Productivity

Tankan Business Conditions Survey

Money Supply

Yield Spread

New Orders for Machinery and Construction

For more information including full press release and technical notes:

http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=5

For more information about The Conference Board global business cycle indicators: http://www.conference-board.org/data/bci.cfm

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is an independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org.

 
Summary Table of Composite Economic Indexes 
                                  2015                      6-month 
                                  Jun       Jul     Aug     Feb to Aug 
 
Leading Economic Index (LEI)      104.3    p104.1  p104.3  p 
 Percent Change                   0.8      p-0.2   p0.2    p1.1         p 
 Diffusion                        90.0      60.0    80.0    80.0 
 
Coincident Economic Index (CEI)   98.5     p98.3   p98.2   p 
 Percent Change                   0.6      p-0.2   p-0.1   p0.0         p 
 Diffusion                        100.0     50.0    37.5    37.5 
 
n.a. Not 
 available    p Preliminary    r Revised 
Indexes equal 100 in 2010 
Source: The Conference Board              All 
 Rights Reserved 
 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-conference-board-leading-economic-index-lei-for-japan-increased-300159020.html

SOURCE The Conference Board

/Web site: http://www.conference-board.org

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 13, 2015 21:15 ET (01:15 GMT)