A measure of future U.S. economic growth picked up last week, while the annualized growth rate also climbed to put both measures at their highest levels since April 2011, a research group said on Friday.

The Economic Cycle Research Institute, a New York-based  independent forecasting group, said its Weekly Leading Index gained to 130.6 in the week ended Jan 18 from 130.4 the previous  week. 

The index's annualized growth rate rose to 7.2 percent from  6.1 percent.