The index of leading economic indicators fell for the fifth consecutive month in October:
The index of leading U.S. economic indicators fell 0.3 percent in October, a fifth consecutive drop, signaling the economy may not accelerate in coming months.
The decline in the Conference Board's gauge of how the economy will perform over the next three to six months follows a revised 0.3 percent decrease in September that was lower than originally reported. The index has been falling since June.
After holding in a trading range all year, the dollar has been swooning again since Election Day.The euro climbed as much as 4 cents in recent weeks, hitting a record $1.3074 on Thursday, before slipping back to $1.2953.
The dollar also hit a seven-month low vs. the yen before firming a bit.
The timing of this latest bout of dollar weakness isn't merely coincidental, economists say. President Bush's re-election, along with bolstered Republican majorities in Congress, suggest that tax cuts will continue to take precedence over deficit reduction.
If you had to give a four word description of the current economy, what would it be?
How about "strong and getting stronger?"