Washington, Sep 21 (DPA) A key gauge of US economic health rose for the fifth straight month in August, according to a private research group Monday, as the country continues to look for signs that its deepest recession in decades is over.

The New York-based Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators rose 0.6 percent on the month, following a revised 0.9-percent rise in July and 0.8-percent increase in June. The July figure was revised upward from an earlier estimate of 0.6 percent.

'This suggests that the recession is bottoming out. These numbers are consistent with the view that after a very severe downturn, a recovery is very near. But, the intensity and pattern of that recovery is more uncertain,' Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein said.

It was the first time since 2004 that the index had risen for so many months in a row. The rise was in line with analyst estimates, who predicted a 0.7-percent increase, according a Bloomberg financial news survey.

The index evaluates the economy's expected performance over the next three to six months.