leading indicators

American  

[lee-ding] / ˈli dɪŋ /

plural noun

Economics.

1. data that reflect current economic conditions and can suggest future developments or fluctuations in the nation's economy: issued, usually monthly, by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis in the Commerce Department.

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Example Sentences

Even before the Iran conflict broke out, Moody’s machine-learning-based leading indicators had reflected a 49% chance of a recession beginning in the U.S. within the next 12 months.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

Economic growth likely slowed to 4.3% in the third quarter from 4.4% in the previous quarter, as leading indicators point to weaker private consumption and softer imports of consumer goods, ANZ economists said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Of the states that are likely to report results fairly rapidly, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan will be seen as leading indicators.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2024

Following Wednesday's decline in the Ifo business climate, all key leading indicators in the manufacturing sector are now falling, Kraemer from Commerzbank said.

From Reuters • May 25, 2023

“All leading indicators point to a further weakening of the economy in the fourth quarter and there doesn’t seem to be any improvement in sight.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2022