SFY - March Business Conditions Monthly
By Robert Hughes
AIER's Leading Indicators Index remains close to neutral; coronavirus threatens outlook.
AIER's Leading Indicators Index rose 4 points to a reading of 54 in February, up from 50 in January. The Roughly Coincident Indicators Index and the Lagging Indicators Index both fell, to 75 and 42, respectively (see chart). February is the tenth consecutive month within the 46 to 54 range for the Leading Indicators Index. The continuing modest performance of the Leading Indicators Index reflects the varied performance among the major sectors of the economy and overall slow pace of growth.