51.   Purchasing executives reported that their index of factory activity climbed in March, and separate reports showed that construction spending and the index of leading indicators rose in February.

52.   Real estate markets, a leading indicator of economic activity, are showing resilience.

53.   Semiconductor stocks, widely seen as the leading indicator of a recovery in the broader technology market, led the advance Wednesday.

54.   Same-store sales, or sales in stores open more than one year, are a leading indicator of the health of a retail company.

55.   Shipments of corrugated cardboard boxes, which many economists consider a leading indicator of the economy, declined in each of the past three months.

56.   SIGNS OF GATHERING STRENGTH The index of leading indicators rose two-tenths of a percent in March, following a rise in February.

57.   Since the stock market is a leading indicator, however, the inevitable decline in economic growth followed.

58.   Sometimes money is a leading indicator in politics, and other times it is a lagging indicator.

59.   South Carolina has long been a leading indicator of Southern political trends.

60.   Some investors see the financial markets as a leading indicator to where the economy is headed.