Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

Production Indicators Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

STEEL (2/20) thous. of net tons 1,799 1,796# 0.5

AUTOS (2/20) units 129,044 120,568r# 10.3

TRUCKS (2/20) units 98,887 94,356r# 29.2

ELECTRIC POWER (2/20) millions of kilowatt-hours 60,660 57,824# 11.6

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (2/20) thous. of bbl./day 13,251 13,066# 6.2

COAL (2/13) thous. of net tons 18,987# 19,912 -0.7

PAPERBOARD (2/13) thous. of tons 849.5# 854.2r 5.9

PAPER (2/13) thous. of tons 783.0# 770.0r 1.4

LUMBER (2/13) millions of ft. 494.9# 476.3 -0.5

RAIL FREIGHT (2/13) billions of ton-miles 20.9# 21.4 0.5

Sources: American Iron & Steel Institute, Ward's Automotive Reports, Edison

Electric Institute, American Petroleum Institute, Energy Dept., American Paper

Institute, WWPA*, SFPA**, Association of American Railroads

monthly economic indicators

# = Raw data in the production indicators are seasonally adjusted in

computing the BW index (chart); other components (estimated and not

listed) include machinery and defense equipment.

* = Western Wood Products Assn.

** = Southern Forest Products Assn.

*** = Free market value

NA = Not available

r = revised

NM = Not meaningful

Foreign Exchange Last Week Year

week ago ago

JAPANESE YEN (2/24) 117 120 130

GERMAN MARK (2/24) 1.62 1.63 1.64

BRITISH POUND (2/24) 1.44 1.44 1.76

FRENCH FRANC (2/24) 5.50 5.52 5.57

CANADIAN DOLLAR (2/24) 1.26 1.26 1.18

SWISS FRANC (2/24) 1.50 1.50 1.49

MEXICAN PESO (2/24)*** 3.093 3.080 3.082

Sources: Major New York banks. Currencies expressed in units per U.S. dollar,

except for British pound expressed in dollars

# = Raw data in the production indicators are seasonally adjusted in

computing the BW index (chart); other components (estimated and not

listed) include machinery and defense equipment.

* = Western Wood Products Assn.

** = Southern Forest Products Assn.

*** = Free market value

NA = Not available

r = revised

NM = Not meaningful

Prices Lastest Week % Change

week ago year ago

GOLD (2/24) $/troy oz. 329.900 330.600 -5.4

STEEL SCRAP (2/23) #1 heavy, $/ton 109.50 109.50 22.3

FOODSTUFFS (2/22) index, 1967=100 201.1 199.4 -1.8

COPPER (2/20) /lb. 104.0 104.0 -1.7

ALUMINUM (2/20) /lb. 56.0 56.5 -6.0

WHEAT (2/20) #2 hard, $/bu. 3.73 3.74 -15.6

COTTON (2/20) strict low middling 1-1/16 in., /lb. 56.53 55.01 11.7

Sources: London Wednesday final setting, Chicago market, Commodity Research

Bureau, Metals Week, Kansas City market, Memphis market

Leading Indicators

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

STOCK PRICES (2/19) S&P 500 433.33 446.33 5.6

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (2/19) 7.69% 7.75% -7.7

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (2/19) 100.3 100.8 4.7

BUSINESS FAILURES (2/12) 388 366 -15.3

REAL ESTATE LOANS (2/10) billions $399.3 $398.2r -2.5

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (2/8) billions $3,426.5 $3,430.5r -0.9

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT (2/6) thous. 321 340 -29.0

Sources: Standard & Poor's, Moody's, Journal of Commerce (index: 1980=100), Dun

& Bradstreet (failures of large companies), Federal Reserve Board, Labor Dept.

CIBCR seasonally adjusts data on business failures and real estate loans

# = Raw data in the production indicators are seasonally adjusted in

computing the BW index (chart); other components (estimated and not

listed) include machinery and defense equipment.

* = Western Wood Products Assn.

** = Southern Forest Products Assn.

*** = Free market value

NA = Not available

r = revised

NM = Not meaningful

Monthly Economic Indicators

Latest Month % Change

month ago year ago

ORDERS FOR DURABLE GOODS: MFG. (Jan.) billions $132.8 $135.1r 12.5

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (Jan.) 142.6 141.9 3.3

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (Jan.) total index 111.0 110.5 4.1

CAPACITY UTILIZATION (Jan.) 79.5% 79.3% 1.9

Sources: Commerce Dept., BLS, Federal Reserve Board

# = Raw data in the production indicators are seasonally adjusted in

computing the BW index (chart); other components (estimated and not

listed) include machinery and defense equipment.

* = Western Wood Products Assn.

** = Southern Forest Products Assn.

*** = Free market value

NA = Not available

r = revised

NM = Not meaningful

Monetary Indicators

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

MONEY SUPPLY, M1 (2/8) $1,030.1 $1,034.6r 11.1

BANKS' BUSINESS LOANS (2/10) 278.2 279.4r -4.1

FREE RESERVES (2/17) 1,552 1,163r 41.0

NONFINANCIAL COMMERCIAL PAPER (2/10) 149.3 149.2 10.3

Sources: Federal Reserve Board (in billions, except for free reserves, which

are expressed for a two-week period in millions)

# = Raw data in the production indicators are seasonally adjusted in

computing the BW index (chart); other components (estimated and not

listed) include machinery and defense equipment.

* = Western Wood Products Assn.

** = Southern Forest Products Assn.

*** = Free market value

NA = Not available

r = revised

NM = Not meaningful

Money Market Rates

Latest Week Year

week ago ago

FEDERAL FUNDS (2/23) 2.91% 3.59% 3.96%

PRIME (2/24) 6.00 6.00 6.50

COMMERCIAL PAPER 3-MONTH (2/23) 3.15 3.20 4.20

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT 3-MONTH (2/24) 3.08 3.12 4.16

EURODOLLAR 3-MONTH (2/19) 3.10 3.13 4.11

Sources: Federal Reserve Board, First Boston