Economic growth gauge eased last week: ECRI

Four thousand U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A measure of future economic growth edged lower in the latest week, while the annualized growth rate also slowed, a research group said on Friday.

The Economic Cycle Research Institute, a New York-based independent forecasting group, said its Weekly Leading Index fell to 129.1 in the week ended February 15 from 129.7 the previous week. That was originally reported as 129.6.

The index's annualized growth rate decreased to 7.6 percent from 8.4 percent a week earlier, which was revised higher from 8.3 percent.

(Reporting by Meredith Mazzilli; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)