A leading indicator of economic performance in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area increased for the fifth straight month in March, latest survey data showed Thursday. The composite leading index rose to 100.5 from 100.4 a month ago. The index designed to anticipate turning points in economic activity relative to trend, point to regained momentum in the OECD area but with divergence between economies. The indicator for Japan and the United States showed stronger signs of improvements in economic activity, pointing towards an expansion. The CLIs for Germany and most other euro area economies showed slightly more positive signals.