The index of leading economic indicators dropped to 60.0 in March from a revised 90.9 in February, preliminary data from the Cabinet Office show. The figure matched market expectations, as expressed in the results of a survey by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun of 11 brokerage and research institutes. A reading above 50 points to economic expansion over the next six months, while a reading below 50 suggests contraction.