A barometer of future economic activity in the United States has increased.

The Conference Board today reported its Index of Leading Economic Indicators moved up 0.1% in March.
The board reports six of the 10 indicators that make up the index increased in March. The positive contributors to the leading index -- from the largest positive contributor to the smallest -- were average weekly manufacturing hours, stock prices, interest rate spread, index of consumer expectations, vendor performance, and manufacturers' new orders for consumer goods and materials. The four negative contributors to the index -- beginning with the largest negative contributor -- were building permits, average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance (inverted), real money supply, and manufacturers' new orders for non-defense capital goods.
The leading index now stands at 112.3. Based on revised data, this index held steady in February and increased 0.6% in January. During the six-month span through March, the leading index increased 2.9%, with all 10 components advancing.
According to a statement from the board, “U.S. economic recovery appears to be under way. The combination of rising energy prices, the current global instability, and the more cautious consumer and business sectors, however, might slow the pace of economic growth in the near term."
This latest report follows news yesterday from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan that the U.S. economy is recovering, but the strength of the recovery appears to be uncertain.