A leading indicator of the French economy increased modestly in February, after remaining unchanged in the previous month, data from a survey by the Conference Board showed Friday. The leading economic index increased by 0.6 percent month-on-month to 113.4 in February. Among components, the yield spread, new unemployment claims, stock prices, industrial new orders and production expectations made the largest positive contributions to the headline index. The coincident economic index, which measures the current situation, remained unchanged at 104.4 during the month. In the six months ended February, the leading index increased 0.5 percent from the same period last year, while the coincident index decreased by 0.2 percent.