Leading Indicators Climb 0.7% In May

The U.S. leading economic index rose 0.7% in May for the second month in a row, the Conference Board said Thursday. "The U.S. LEI increased sharply again in May, confirming the outlook for more economic expansion in the second half of the year after what looks to be a much weaker first half," said Ataman Ozyildirim, director of business cycles and growth research, in a statement.