Economic Indicators from Conference Board

Here are the updates of Eco indicators from CB,

US:

• Consumer confidence index – down 0.3pts

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined slightly in March, was virtually unchanged in April. The Index now stands at 69.2 (1985=100), down slightly from 69.5 in March. The Expectations Index declined to 81.1 from 82.5, while the Present Situation Index improved to 51.4 from 49.9 last month.

• Employment Trends Index down 0.18%

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI) decreased 0.18 percent in March to 107.28, down from the revised figure of 107.47 in February. The March figure is still up over 5 percent (5.2) from the same month a year ago.

• Online Labor Demand Rises 90,900 in April, Labor demand is at its highest level
  • Labor demand is at its highest level since the HWOL Data Series began (May 2005)
  • Labor demand for half of the 20 largest States at series highs
  • Last few months show a rising demand for legal professions
  • Leading Economic Index increases 0.3%

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.3 percent in March to 95.7 (2004 = 100), following a 0.7 percent increase in February, and a 0.2 percent increase in January.

• CEO Confidence Increases  14.0 pts

The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence, which had improved in the fourth quarter, increased further in the first quarter of 2012. The Measure now reads 63, up from 49 last quarter (a reading of more than 50 points reflects more positive than negative responses).

Europe

• Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the Euro Area decreased 0.3

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the Euro Area decreased 0.3 percent in March, falling to 105.0 (2004=100), following increases of 0.8 percent in February and 1.0 percent in January.

Said Jean-Claude Manini, The Conference Board Senior Economist for Europe: “The LEI for the Euro Area fell slightly in March after three consecutive gains. The waning influence of Long-Term Refinancing Operations on financial markets and weakening confidence in the manufacturing sector dragged the index down in March. However, economic activity in the Euro Area is still expected to return to a moderate expansion in the near term, even as austerity measures are taking their toll on domestic demand.”

• The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for France increased 0.6 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) remained unchanged in February
• The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Germany increased 0.4 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) decreased 0.1 percent in February.
• The Conference Board Leading Economic Index®(LEI) for Spain increased 0.1 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index®(CEI) decreased 0.1 percent in February.

The Conference Board LEI for Spain increased for a third consecutive month in February.  Positive contributions from the long-term government bond yield, the Spanish contribution to Euro M2, and the capital equipment component of industrial production more than offset a large negative contribution from order books survey. In the six-month period ending February 2012, the leading economic index declined by 0.7 percent (about a -1.3 percent annual rate), an improvement from the 1.8 percent decline (about a -3.7 percent annual rate) during the previous six months.  However, the weaknesses among the leading indicators have been widespread in recent months.

The Conference Board LEI for Spain has improved over the past three months, after declining between February and November 2011. Though its six-month growth rate has improved slightly in recent months, it remains negative.  Meanwhile, The Conference Board CEI for Spain has been on a downward trend for the past year, and its six-month growth also remains negative. Taken together, although the past three increases in the LEI could represent a stabilization in its downward trend, the recent behavior of the composite indexes suggests that it is too early to tell if the current contraction in economic activity will end in the near term.

Overall, the above pieces of new economic data in recent weeks show that economics in US have more brighter spots than those of Europe. The growth of US economics is steady but not strong. The Europe economic is still muddling through the financial crisis. It is still unclear and uncertain that whether the European economy is heading to contracting or recovering. Only time will tell…