BusinessWeek Index

BusinessWeek Index

TABLE: PRODUCTION INDICATORS

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

STEEL (3/19) thous. of net tons 1,854 1,892 # 4.4

AUTOS (3/19) units 138,087 147,711 r# 15.7

TRUCKS (3/19) units 112,297 120,652 r# 7.0

ELECTRIC POWER (3/19) millions of

kilowatt-hours 55,782 56,932 # -4.6

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (3/19) thous.

of bbl./day 12,828 12,935 # -2.8

COAL (3/12) thous. of net tons 20,929 # 21,259 8.6

PAPERBOARD (3/12) thous. of tons NA # 861.4 r NA

PAPER (3/12) thous. of tons NA # 839.0 r NA

LUMBER (3/12) millions of ft. 499.1 # 492.1 0.0

RAIL FREIGHT (3/12) billions of

ton-miles 21.6 # 21.6 4.3

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

TABLE: FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Latest Week Year

week ago ago

JAPANESE YEN (3/23) 106 106 116

GERMAN MARK (3/23) 1.69 1.69 1.64

BRITISH POUND (3/23) 1.49 1.49 1.49

FRENCH FRANC (3/23) 5.77 5.75 5.57

CANADIAN DOLLAR (3/23) 1.36 1.36 1.25

SWISS FRANC (3/23) 1.43 1.43 1.52

MEXICAN PESO (3/23)3 3.335 3.295 3.108

Sources: Major New York banks. Currencies expressed in units per U.S. dollar, except for British pound expressed in dollars

TABLE: PRICES

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

GOLD (3/23) $/troy oz. 388.200 385.500 17.3

STEEL SCRAP (3/22) #1 heavy, $/ton 139.50 139.50 28.6

FOODSTUFFS (3/21) index, 1967=100 221.1 222.7 7.4

COPPER (3/19) cents /lb. 96.0 92.3 -4.5

ALUMINUM (3/19) cents /lb. 62.0 61.5 17.0

WHEAT (3/19) #2 hard, $/bu. 3.64 3.56 -4.0

COTTON (3/19) strict low middling

1-1/16 in., cents /lb. 72.28 73.02 27.9

Sources: London Wednesday final setting, Chicago market, Commodity Research Bureau, Metals Week, Kansas City market, Memphis market

TABLE: LEADING INDICATORS

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

STOCK PRICES (3/18) S&P 500 469.16 466.04 4.1

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (3/18) 7.46% 7.44% -2.0

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (3/18) 97.4 96.7 -3.8

BUSINESS FAILURES (3/11) NA 349 NA

REAL ESTATE LOANS (3/9) billions $416.1 $414.2 r 1.8

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (3/7) billions $3,545.2 $3,536.3 r 3.0

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT (3/5)

thous. 350 314 -3.0

Sources: Standard & Poor's, Moody's, Journal of Commerce (index: 1980=100), Dun & Bradstreet (failures of large companies), Federal Reserve, Labor Dept. CIBCR seasonally adjusts data on business failures and real estate loans

TABLE: MONTHLY ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Latest Month % Change

month ago year ago

HOUSING STARTS (Feb.) annual rate, thous. 1,309 1,258 r 9.6

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (Feb.) 146.7 146.3 2.4

REAL GROSS WEEKLY PAY (Feb.) $254.60 $258.36 r 0.1

BUDGET SURPLUS OR DEFICIT (-) (Feb.) millions -$41,633 $15,613 -13.6

Sources: Commerce Dept., BLS, Treasury Dept.

TABLE: MONETARY INDICATORS

Latest Week % Change

week ago year ago

MONEY SUPPLY, M1 (3/7) $1,140.3 $1,140.7 r 10.4

BANKS' BUSINESS LOANS (3/9) 283.3 284.3 r -1.5

FREE RESERVES (3/16) 1,098 1,103 r -8.3

NONFINANCIAL COMMERCIAL PAPER (3/9) 151.9 154.5 2.4

Sources: Federal Reserve (in billions, except for free reserves, which are expressed for a two-week period in millions)

TABLE: MONEY MARKET RATES

Latest Week Year

week ago ago

FEDERAL FUNDS (3/22) 3.44% 3.25% 2.93%

PRIME (3/23) 6.00 6.00 6.00

COMMERCIAL PAPER 3-MONTH (3/22) 3.92 3.85 3.16

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT 3-MONTH (3/23) 3.78 3.75 3.11

EURODOLLAR 3-MONTH (3/18) 3.75 3.75 3.13

Sources: Federal Reserve, 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