Leading Economic Indicators Decline

An index of leading economic indicators fell 0.5% in August, the New York-based Conference Board said Thursday.

The decline followed a revised 0.7% decline in July, the group said.

The August downturn was greater than economists’ forecasts of a 0.2% decline, Bloomberg reported.

The LEI is closely watched by trucking companies because it forecasts business activity for the next three to six months.