The government's chief economic forecasting gauge was unchanged in January, suggesting the economy will continue to level off as the year progresses.
The Commerce Department said Friday its Index of Leading Economic Indicators remained flat after rising for two straight months, including a revised 0.2 percent in December.Many analysts had expected an unchanged index in January.
The December increase, which originally was estimated at 0.1 percent, was boosted after later information revealed more building permits were issued than previously thought.
But while the December index was slightly higher than first believed, the November gauge was lowered to 0.1 percent, weaker than the initial 0.3 percent report. A shorter average work week and an increase in the number of initial weekly claims for jobless benefits were responsible for the change.
The index had slipped 0.1 percent in October, the first decline in 15 months, although it remained flat a month earlier.
The index is designed to forecast economic activity six to nine months in advance.
In a separate report, the Commerce Department said orders to U.S. factories increased 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted $301.3 billion, but the advance was the slowest in three months.
Orders for durable goods - big-ticket items expected to last more than three years - rose 1.1 percent, down from 1.9 percent in December. And orders for non-durable goods such as food and fuel were flat in January after rising 2.1 percent a month earlier.