Leading economic indicators continue to rise

The Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose 0.6 percent in August, the Conference Board announced Monday -- the fifth straight monthly increase -- providing yet another signal that the U.S. economy is approaching the recovery stage.

The board added that the rising LEI index and the coincident economic index, taken together, "suggest that the recession is bottoming out. These numbers are consistent with the view that after a very severe downturn, a recovery is very near. But, the intensity and pattern of that recovery is more uncertain."