Economy still flashing recession signs, U.S. leading index finds

The numbers: The leading economic index declined 0.8% in October and fell for the 19th month in a row, but the U.S. economy doesn’t appear any closer to a recession than when the losing streak began.

Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.7% drop in the leading index, a gauge of 10 indicators designed to show whether the economy is getting better or worse.

The…