The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Australia decreased 0.1 percent in March to 104.1 (2010 = 100), following a 0.5 percent increase in February, and a 0.4 percent increase in January.
At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Australia, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.5 percent in March to 108.4 (2010 = 100), following a 0.4 percent increase in February, and a 0.1 percent increase in January.
The Conference Board LEI for Australia declined slightly after three consecutive increases, but the strengths among its components have remained more widespread than the weaknesses. As a result, the six-month growth rate of the LEI has improved considerably over recent months. Meanwhile, the CEI for Australia continues to increase, and its six-month growth rate is much improved from six months ago. Taken together, the recent behavior of the composite indexes suggests that the current economic expansion will continue in the near term.
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