Leading Index Rises at Slower Pace, U.S. Growth Cools

The index of U.S. leading indicators rose at a slower pace in January, restrained by declines in building permits and factory orders that signal a slower pace of growth.

The Conference Board’s index, a measure of the outlook for the next three to six months, climbed 0.2 percent last month, after a revised 0.4 percent gain in December that was smaller than initially reported, the New York-based group said Thursday. The median forecast of 49 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.3 percent advance.