Partners outgrew US last year

The leading economic indicators of six key countries overseas continued to grow faster than those in the United States late last year, the Conference Board reports.

The indexes of leading economic indicators in Japan, West Germany, France, Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom reached new highs. The leading economic index in Japan rose 19 percent over year-earlier levels, and indexes were up 10 percent in West Germany, 9 percent in France, 8 percent in Canada, 5 percent in Italy, and 4 percent in the United Kingdom. The US index remained at virtually the same level it held throughout the year.