Major Recession Signal Flashes Red Amid ‘Soft Landing’ Talk

A top recession indicator is flashing red for the 21st consecutive month, signaling a downturn on the horizon. But a chorus of economists has championed a soft landing, with many experts expecting the U.S. economy to avert back-to-back quarters of negative growth. The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (LEI), a gauge of the economy’s strength, slipped 0.1 percent in December, up from the 0.5 percent drop in November. This came in slightly better than the consensus estimate of negative 0.3 percent. The LEI slumped 2.9 percent during the six-month span between June and December, up from the 4.3 percent decline in the previous six-month period....