The Iowa Leading Indicators Index increased to 105.4 in August from 105.1, an increase of  0.3 percent, the Iowa Department of Revenue said. The positive change is the largest observed in the revised index since June 2014 and follows changes of 0 percent for the previous two months. Along with the positive monthly change in the index, the monthly diffusion index increased from 37.5 in July to 62.5 in August with five of the eight components experiencing positive changes. The five positive contributors to the index in August were residential building permits, average weekly unemployment claims, the agricultural futures profits index, the Iowa stock market index and the national yield spread. Permits for single-family homes spiked in Scott County and the city of Stuart, while multifamily permits were led by Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ames and Ankeny. Click here for more information.