LEI

The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators rose an impressive 1.1% in November -- its biggest gain in eight months. It provides further evidence that the U.S. expansion is gaining momentum and will likely grow at a faster pace into 2011.

Stocks closed modestly mixed on light volume Friday in the last full trading week of the year, which marked the third week in a row of overall gains. While drugmakers Pfizer and Merck put a damper on the Dow, robust earnings from Oracle and Research In Motion helped lift tech stocks.

Look for a "mild pickup" in the economy this spring, according to the Conference Board, whose index of leading economic indicators showed a 0.5% gain in September and October.

September's report by The Conference Board shows more signs of a U.S. economy that's growing at a crawl. The index rose 0.3% -- its third straight monthly rise. However that pace is too low to substantially lower unemployment.

The latest Leading Economic Indicators reading and regional Philly Fed Index provide further evidence of weaker economic growth. And that complicates policymakers' efforts to lower the nation's high unemployment rate.

June%u2019s 0.2% dip in the Leading Economic Index provided more evidence that the U.S. economic recovery has slowed, and that the slowdown will continue into autumn -- something that will complicate policymakers' task of lowering the nation's high unemployment rate.

Although the May Leading Economic Index and the June regional Philly Fed Survey confirmed a growing U.S. economy, each suggests the economy may slow in the quarters ahead -- something that would complicate policy makers%u2019 effort to lower the nation%u2019s high unemployment rate.

April's dip in the index of leading economic indicators was unexpected and signaled that growth may cool this summer. But the recovery is likely to continue -- other employment and manufacturing data remain encouraging.

The Conference Board's closely-watched index of leading economic indicators rose a better-than-expected 0.9 percent in November. The Federal Reserve's survey of manufacturing activity in the mid-Atlantic states also climbed.

The Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased 0.3% in October -- its seventh straight monthly increase -- the Conference Board announced Thursday, providing more evidence that the U.S. economic recovery is progressing. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had expected the index to rise 0.4%...