Leading indicators point to recession through summer

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has talked about seeing "green shoots," in the U.S. economy. Well, those green shoots may end up not sprouting until late summer, if a key economic barometer is accurate.

The Index of Leading Economic Indicators fell 0.3 percent in March, The Conference Board announced Monday, as negatives in building permits, stock prices and supplier deliveries offset continued positive contributions from real money supply and the yield spread. The LEI also fell a revised -0.2 percent in February, a slight improvement from the previously-released -0.4 percent.