U.S. Economy: Index Points to Further Slowdown

by Mike Bevel, CollectionIndustry.com

Say goodbye to such adjectives as ?blistering?, ?skyrocketing?, ?out-of-control?, and ?red-hot.? Especially when discussing the current state of the U.S. economy. According to the index of leading economic indicators, economic growth will continue to slow down over the next three to six months.

?The LEI continues to give the distinct signal that the economy is moderating,’ said Anthony Chan, chief economist for JPMorgan Private Client Services in New York, who used to work at the Fed. ?It certainly provides greater comfort for policy makers who opted to pause.’

Bloomberg.com is carrying a fairly in-depth look at a lot of the numbers that have economists either congratulating themselves or firing off angry letters to Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke for ?never understanding anything!? and for ?not giving us a pony when we asked for one when we were 10 years old.?