BEIJING, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for China increased 0.7 percent in August. The index stands at 269.3 (2004 = 100), following a 1.4 percent increase in July and a 0.8 percent increase in June. Five of the six components contributed positively to the index in August.

Says Andrew Polk, resident economist at The Conference Board China Center in Beijing: "The LEI increased in August, but its growth has slowed as real estate activity slumped markedly. While recent improvements in China's industry and retail sectors signal some stabilization in current conditions, the easing of the LEI's six-month growth rate, coupled with downside risks from the real estate sector, suggest the pace of economic growth will remain muted in the coming months."  

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index^®(CEI) for China, which measures current economic activity, increased 1.2 percent in August to 248.7 (2004 = 100), following a 1.1 percent increase in July and a 1.1 percent increase in June. All five components contributed positively to the index in August.

The Conference Board LEI for China aggregates six economic indicators that measure economic activity in China. Each of the LEI components has proven accurate on its own. Aggregating individual indicators into a composite index filters out so-called "noise" to show underlying trends more clearly.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® (LEI) for China 

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for China was launched in May 2010. Plotted back to 1986, this index has successfully signaled turning points in the economic cycles of China. The Conference Board also produces LEIs for Australia, the Euro Area, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The six components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® (LEI) for China include:

Total Loans Issued by Financial Institutions (source: People's Bank of China)5000 Industry Enterprises Diffusion Index: Raw Materials Supply Index (source: People's Bank of China) NBS Manufacturing PMI Sub-Indices: PMI Supplier Deliveries (source: National Bureau of Statistics) Consumer Expectations Index (source: National Bureau of Statistics)Total Floor Space Started (source: National Bureau of Statistics) NBS Manufacturing PMI Sub-Indices: Export Orders (source: National Bureau of Statistics)

For more information including full press release and technical notes:http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=11

To view The Conference Board calendar of 2013 indicator releases:

http://www.conference-board.org/data/

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