Leading Indicators in the U.S. Rose Less Than Forecast in March

The index of U.S. leading economic indicators rose less than forecast in March, indicating the world’s largest economy will have difficulty gaining traction after a first-quarter slowdown.

The Conference Board’s gauge, a measure of the outlook for the next three to six months, climbed 0.2 percent after a 0.1 percent increase in February that was smaller than previously reported, the New York-based group said Friday. The median forecast of 48 economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected a 0.3 percent increase.