Provided by Dow Jones By Xavier Fontdegloria An economic index that measures U.S. business cycles increased in January for the ninth consecutive month, data from The Conference Board showed Monday. The Leading Economic index was 110.3 in January, up 0.5% compared with December. The rise is broadly in line with expectations from economists polled by The Wall Street Journal, who forecast the indicator to increase 0.4%. In December, the index rose by an upwardly revised 0.4% compared with November. January marks the ninth straight monthly rise for the index, which rebounded strongly in May and June after the economy reopened but slowed the following months. January's slight acceleration compared with December suggests an uptick in economic activity.