A closely watched gauge of future economic activity edged higher in December, a smaller-than-expected rise that could portend uneven growth in the year ahead, a private research group said Monday.
The Conference Board said its Index of Leading Economic Indicators, designed to take the pulse of the economy in the near term, rose 0.1 percent last month, smaller than the 0.2 percent gain forecast by analysts. The December increase followed gains of 0.9 percent in November and 1.0 percent in October, both of which were revised upward.
