Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

PRODUCTION INDICATORS

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

STEEL (5/22) thous. of net tons 1,905 1,818 # 5.8

AUTOS (5/22) units 137,582 135,081 r# 1.4

TRUCKS (5/22) units 103,758 107,620 r# 13.3

ELECTRIC POWER (5/22) millions of

kilowatt-hours 53,228 53,959 # 0.9

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (5/22) thous.

of bbl./day 13,733 13,607 # -2.5

COAL (5/15) thous. of net tons 18,142 # 18,319 -2.3

PAPERBOARD (5/15) thous. of tons 819.8 # 799.4 r 9.1

PAPER (5/15) thous. of tons 746.0 # 762.0 r 2.6

LUMBER (5/15) millions of ft. 469.9 # 468.6 -5.6

RAIL FREIGHT (5/15) billions of

ton-miles 21.2 # 21.1 2.4

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

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

Institute, WWPA1, SFPA2, Association of American Railroads

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Latest Week Year

week ago ago

JAPANESE YEN (5/26) 108 110 128

GERMAN MARK (5/26) 1.62 1.62 1.61

BRITISH POUND (5/26) 1.55 1.54 1.82

FRENCH FRANC (5/26) 5.47 5.46 5.41

CANADIAN DOLLAR (5/26) 1.26 1.26 1.20

SWISS FRANC (5/26) 1.45 1.47 1.46

MEXICAN PESO (5/26)3 3.127 3.097 3.091

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

except for British pound expressed in dollars

PRICES

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

GOLD (5/26) $/troy oz. 374.500 381.900 10.6

STEEL SCRAP (5/25) #1 heavy, $/ton 106.50 106.50 13.3

FOODSTUFFS (5/25) index, 1967=100 205.7 206.2 3.1

COPPER (5/15) /lb. 88.5 87.0 -15.8

ALUMINUM (5/15) /lb. 52.5 53.0 -12.5

WHEAT (5/15) #2 hard, $/bu. 3.57 3.49 -8.5

COTTON (5/15) strict low middling

1-1/16 in., /lb. 58.40 58.39 3.3

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 (5/21) S&P 500 444.94 442.15 7.4

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (5/21) 7.48 % 7.41 % -9.1

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (5/21) 95.4 96.3 -2.5

BUSINESS FAILURES (5/14) 380 457 -4.0

REAL ESTATE LOANS (5/12) billions $397.7 $394.9 r -2.8

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (5/10) billions $3,467.9 $3,448.0 r 0.7

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT (5/8)

thous. 337 342 -17.2

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

MONTHLY ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Latest Month % Change

month ago year ago

ORDERS FOR DURABLE GOODS: MFG. (Apr.) billions $130.3 $130.2 r 6.5

BUDGET SURPLUS OR DEFICIT (-) (Apr.) millions $8,088 -$44,577 -44.6

IMPORTS (Mar.) millions $49,203 $44,832 r 15.2

EXPORTS (Mar.) millions $38,996 $36,928 r 4.9

Sources: Commerce Dept., Treasury Dept.

MONETARY INDICATORS

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

MONEY SUPPLY, M1 (5/10) $1,064.8 $1,054.8 r 11.5

BANKS' BUSINESS LOANS (5/12) 275.7 277.5 r -4.5

FREE RESERVES (5/12) 771 r 1,286 r 62.3

NONFINANCIAL COMMERCIAL PAPER (5/12) 158.2 161.5 8.4

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

are expressed for a two-week period in millions)

MONEY MARKET RATES

Latest Week Year

week ago ago

FEDERAL FUNDS (5/25) 3.21 % 2.97 % 3.80 %

PRIME (5/26) 6.00 6.00 6.50

COMMERCIAL PAPER 3-MONTH (5/25) 3.19 3.15 3.91

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT 3-MONTH (5/26) 3.15 3.12 3.89

EURODOLLAR 3-MONTH (5/21) 3.13 3.08 3.91

Sources: Federal Reserve Board, First Boston

#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.

1 = Western Wood Products Assn. 2 = Southern Forest Products Assn. 3 = Free

market value NA = Not available r = revised NM = Not meaningful