By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The index of leading economic indicators fell 0.3% in June to 95.6, mostly reversing the increase in May, the Conference Board reported Thursday. Weakness in new orders, consumer confidence and building permits contributed to the decline. "The U.S. economy is growing very slowly. The CEI basically reflects this steady but soft pace of overall economic activity," said Ken Goldstein, an economist at the Conference Board. The coincident index, which reflects current conditions, rose 0.2%. The lagging index also climbed 0.2%.
