Us indicators point to signs of recoverry

The West Australian The index of US leading economic indicators rose 0.6 per cent in August, marking a fifth consecutive increase and offering more signs of economic recovery, the Conference

Board says. The business research firm said on Monday its forward-looking index of economic conditions in the coming months extended its gains after a revised 0.9 per cent increase in July

and a 0.8 per cent jump in June. "Since reaching a peak in July 2007, the (leading index) fell for 20 months - the longest downtrend since the mid 1970s - but it has been rising since

April and its gains have become very widespread," says Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board. "The six-month growth rate of the (index) continues to

accelerate." Other indexes in the research firm's survey appeared to steady. The coincident index of current activity was unchanged in August, after a 0.1 per cent rise in July.

The lagging index fell 0.1 per cent in August after a 0.5 per cent drop in July. "Taken together, this suggests that the recession is bottoming out," said Conference Board

economist Ken Goldstein. "These numbers are consistent with the view that after a very severe downturn, a recovery is very near. But, the intensity and pattern of that recovery is more

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