By Ruth Mantell
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- A "mild pickup" may be in store for the U.S. economy this spring, following a post-holiday lull, the Conference Board said Thursday as it reported that its leading economic index rose 0.5% in October. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected the index -- a weighted gauge of 10 indicators that are designed to signal business cycle peaks and troughs -- to gain 0.6%. "The economy is slow, but latest data on the U.S. LEI suggest that change may be around the corner," said Ken Goldstein, economist at the Conference Board, in a statement. Six of the 10 indicators rose in October, with the largest contribution from the interest rate spread. Among the two negative contributors, the largest negative contribution came from the index of supplier deliveries. Two of the indicators held steady in October. The September index was revised higher to a gain of 0.5% from a prior estimate of 0.3%.
