Business-confidence index wanes slightly

BOULDER – The confidence of Colorado business leaders has slightly declined going into the fourth quarter as uncertainty surrounds the government shutdown and the federal deficit increase, according to the most recent Leeds Business Confidence Index released Tuesday by the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.

The fourth-quarter index posted a reading of 59.3, which is a decrease from 60.5 last quarter but still near a post-recession high. Expectations measured positive – at 50 or higher – for all of the metrics measured by the index, which include the national economy, state economy, industry sales, industry profits, capital expenditures…