U.S. LEADING INDEX FELL 1.0 PCT IN JANUARY The U.S. index of leading indicators fell a seasonally adjusted 1.0 pct in January after a revised 2.3 pct December gain, the Commerce Department said. The department previously said the index rose 2.1 pct in December. The decline in January was the biggest for any month since July, 1984, when the index fell 1.7 pct. The January decrease left the index at 183.8 over its 1967 base of 100, and was led by a fall in contracts and orders for plant and equipment. A total of six of 10 indicators available for January contributed to the decline. Besides contracts and orders for plant and equipment, they were building permits, manufacturers' new orders for consumer goods, a change in sensitive materials prices, slower deliveries from vendors and higher average weekly claims for state unemployment insurance. Four of 10 indicators were positive, including stock prices, new business formation, average work week and money supply. The main factor for the December upward revision was new business formation. There was no revision in the 0.9 pct increase in the leading indicators index for November. The index of coincident indicators, which measures the current economy, fell 0.1 pct in January after increases of 0.7 pct in December and 0.2 pct in November. The index of lagging indicators, which measures past economic activity, rose 0.5 pct in January after a decrease of 0.5 pct in December and an increase of 0.2 pct in November.