tober. Seven of the ten indicators that make up the leading index increased in December: vendor performance, stock prices, building permits, average weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance, index of consumer expectations, manufacturers' new orders for nondefense capital goods, and manufacturers new orders for consumer goods and materials. This hints at a slow recovery for the economy over the course of the next year. In the U.S. new home building climbed 5% this month, reaching the highest level since the middle of 1986. Mortgage rates are at their lowest level in almost 40 years and this has boosted the buyer demand. (http://www.business.iafrica.com).
             The leading index continued increasing in January and
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