By Steve Goldstein
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Conference Board's leading economic index rose 0.5% in February, after a 0.1% rise in January and a 0.1% decline in December. "The U.S. LEI increased sharply in February, suggesting that any weather-related volatility will be short lived and the economy should continue to improve into the second half of the year," said Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board.
