leads and lagsnoun [ plural ]
ukusFINANCEincreases or reductions in the speed at which something happens, for example in the payment of money or the time in which a piece of work is completed :
The CBI's chief economic adviser said the leads and lags in getting the spending plans through Whitehall could delay implementation.
Firms use leads and lags in foreign trade when a currency is expected to move in one direction or the other.