The Conference Board's LEI index turned negative in June. The yield curve finally made a negative contribution.

The conference board provides this press release on Leading Economic Indicators for June.

“The US LEI fell in June, the first decline since last December, primarily driven by weaknesses in new orders for manufacturing, housing permits, and unemployment insurance claims,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Senior Director of Economic Research at The Conference Board. “For the first time since late 2007, the yield spread made a small negative contribution. As the US economy enters its eleventh year of expansion, the longest in US history, the LEI suggests growth is likely to remain slow in the second half of the year.”

The consensus estimate was for LEI of +0.1.

Ten LEI Components

1. Average weekly hours, manufacturing
2. Average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance
3. Manufacturers’ new orders, consumer goods, and materials
4. ISM® Index of New Orders
5. Manufacturers' new orders, nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft orders
6. Building permits, new private housing units
7. Stock prices, 500 common stocks
8. Leading Credit Index™
9. Interest rate spread, 10-year Treasury bonds less federal funds
10. Average consumer expectations for business conditions

Comments

• Had they used housing starts rather than permits we may have had a different number.
• The stock market does not lead anything. It peaked in November of 2007 right with the economy.
• Using consumer expectations for business as a measure of anything reliable seems silly.
• The leading credit index is proprietary. What's in that? What percentage weight does it have?

Leading vs Coincident Indicators

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Leading vs Coincident Indicators Annual Rate

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​June's -0.3% decline does not show up in the preceding two charts.

Negative contributions were led by building permits, ISM New Orders, and jobless claims. Positive contributions were led by credit conditions, consumer expectations, the factory workweek, and the stock market. The Index of Coincident Economic Indicators rose modestly (Note that two of its four components are estimated).

Leading Indicators 1969-Present

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Warning Time

As a leading indicator, the LEI can provide a huge warning time. Too big?

Ahead of the Great Recession, the index peaked in 2005. Year-over-year it peaked in 2003.

The LEI by itself has false positives as does the coincident indicator.

If you use the LEI and CEI together, recessions are confirmed but take a look at 2001. The LEI was at -12 or so before the coincident indicator touched zero.

They are both near zero now, for the third or fourth time since 2011. The LEI by itself, month-over-month, has been negative seven times since 2010.

Will there be any lead time (LEI +CEI) this time? I suggest not.