The numbers: The U.S. leading index rose 0.3% in February and signaled a pickup in economic growth as omicron faded and governments lifted restrictions. But there’s also more bumps in the road ahead.
Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.3% increase. The index had fallen sharply in the first month of the year amid a record wave of coronavirus cases.
The LEI is a weighted gauge of 10 indicators designed to signal business-cycle peaks and valleys.
Key details: A measure of current economic conditions increased 0.4% in February, the Conference Board said Friday. The privately run company is the publisher of the report.
The so-called lagging index — a look of sorts in the rearview mirror — was unchanged.
Big picture: The U.S. economy has revved up after a slow start to the year, but the road ahead could be uneven. Inflation has soared to a 40- year high and is forcing…