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The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for France increased 0.2 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) decreased 0.1 percent in February.

A significant brain drain is being predicted at global retailers, according to a new study by the Korn/Ferry Institute entitled What's in store? The forecast for global retail.

Maxwell Drummond, a global retained executive search firm that caters specifically to the energy and natural resources sector, has completed its annual worldwide trends survey of energy company executives with results that reveal an industry focus on strengthening the workforce, preparing for economic recovery and developing unconventional resources.

As consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and services continues to grow, businesses can’t simply call themselves green - they must actually do their part. According to a survey by Manta, the largest website on and for small businesses, more than 90 percent of small businesses selling green products/services or implementing green practices in the workplace genuinely care about the environment. Forty-six percent of the 421 respondents also cited consumer demand as a major reason for “going green,” the second most popular reason for doing so. These results also suggest that green initiatives have become part of everyday business.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.9 percent, up two basis points from 4.88 percent compared to this same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate peaked last Friday at 4.98 percent before falling to 4.9 percent Saturday and remaining relatively level through Tuesday.

In February 2010 the seasonally adjusted current account of the euro area recorded a deficit of EUR 3.9 billion. In the financial account, combined direct and portfolio investment recorded net inflows of EUR 11 billion (non-seasonally adjusted). At the end of 2009, the international investment position of the euro area recorded net liabilities of EUR 1.5 trillion vis-à-vis the rest of the world (16% of euro area GDP). This represented a reduction of EUR 130 billion in comparison with the position at the end of the third quarter.

Bank of America announced findings from the latest Merrill Lynch Affluent Insights Quarterly, a survey of the values, financial priorities and concerns of affluent Americans and the opportunities and challenges they face. The third in this series of quarterly surveys examines how the affluent view and approach retirement, investing and their credit and liquidity needs differently during pivotal life stages.

In February 2010, the amount outstanding of shares/units issued by euro area investment funds other than money market funds was higher than in January 2010. This was due mainly to increases in share/unit prices and, to a lower extent, to net issues of shares/units.

According to a new survey by American Express, the majority of homeowners (53%) believe a seller’s market is two or more years away, yet investing in their current home remains a priority. In fact, 62 percent of homeowners plan to embark on home improvement projects in 2010 and spend an average of $6,200 on enhancements.

Neither record-breaking losses in 2008 nor a robust market rally in 2009 incentivized workers to put 401(k) retirement saving at the top of their priority lists last year, according to a new report from Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing services company. Workers were able to recover a significant portion of the losses they sustained in 2008 simply by participating in their 401(k) plan; however, it wasn’t enough to propel most plan balances back to their pre-recession levels.