In what may be an early harbinger of future advertising confidence, The Conference Board Thursday said its leading economic index rose 0.4% in July, the fourth straight month of increases after a
slow start to the year. The board said consumer spending and business investment may have recovered in the second quarter and may be performing better now in the third quarter. Increases were seen
in personal income, industrial production and manufacturing/trade sales, although declines in employment were also registered. "The bottom line is that the leading economic indicators are more
favorable now than any time since the recession started more than two years ago," said Ken Goldstein, economist at the Conference Board.
