Leading indicators index drops

NEW YORK (AP) -- A key gauge of future U.S. economic activity declined 0.5 percent last month, as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks weakened an already troubled economy.

The New York-based Conference Board, a nonprofit research group, said Monday its Index of Leading Economic Indicators fell to 109.2 in September, following a revised 0.1 drop in August.

The decrease in the September index is the largest one-month decline since January 1996, the board said, though was in line with analysts' expectations.