--US July LEI +0.3% to 109.9; June +0.3% at unrevised 109.6
--Conf Bd: Indexes show economy could improve this fall

New York, Aug. 20 (BridgeNews) - A key economic forecasting gauge rose in July, suggesting that the U.S. economy may be working its way for an improvement this fall, the U.S. Conference Board said Monday. The index of leading economic indicators, designed to forecast trends in the economy six to nine months in advance, rose 0.3% in July to 109.9, following a 0.3% gain to a unrevised 109.6 in June, the Conference Board said.

The latest LEI marks the fourth consecutive monthly rise.
Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein said in the release: "The signal from the composite index, in terms of its depth and breadth, is that economic conditions, sluggish through the entire first half of the year, could begin to make way for a better economy this fall."