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

The bank said leading indicators suggest that monthly consumer inflation “firmed” in January, led by food prices, though the underlying upward trend in inflation is limited.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

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

Housing detracted, on average, around 1% from real GDP growth between the second and fourth quarters of 2022, but the leading indicators of weakness showed up earlier.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 9, 2023

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