Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

PRODUCTION AND LEADING INDEXES

The production index was nearly unchanged during the week ended Feb. 11. But

before calculation of the four-week moving average, the index fell to 120.9,

from 124.3. Declines in most of the seasonally adjusted output numbers offset a

jump in the production of electric power.

The leading index rose in the latest week, but the unaveraged index was little

changed at 255.5, from 255.8. Slower growth in materials prices offset positive

signs elsewhere.

BW production index copyright 1994 Bloomberg L.P.

BW leading index copyright 1994 by CIBCR

PRODUCTION INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

STEEL (2/18) thous. of net tons 2,030 1,956# 9.0

AUTOS (2/18) units 148,864 145,044r# 3.4

TRUCKS (2/18) units 116,868 118,333r# -3.1

ELECTRIC POWER (2/18) millions

of kilowatt-hrs. NA 65,339# NA

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (2/18)

thous. of bbl./day NA 13,413# NA

COAL (2/11) thous. of net tons 20,401# 22,049 1.6

PAPERBOARD (2/11) thous. of tons 915.0# 927.8r 5.4

PAPER (2/11) thous. of tons 840.0# 835.0r 0.8

LUMBER (2/11) millions of ft. 457.7# 452.0 -2.2

RAIL FREIGHT (2/11) billions

of ton-miles 23.3# 24.4 8.4

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

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

& Paper Association, WWPA1, SFPA2, Association of American Railroads

LEADING INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

STOCK PRICES (2/17) S&P 500 483.19 480.96 2.7

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (2/17) 8.26% 8.28% 17.0

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (2/17) 112.2 112.4r 14.0

BUSINESS FAILURES (2/10) NA 276 NA

REAL ESTATE LOANS (2/8) billions $466.1 $466.0r 9.7

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (2/6) billions $3,595.2 $3,589.5r 1.9

INITIAL CLAIMS,

UNEMPLOYMENT (2/4) thous. 318 326 -13.1

GOLD (2/22) $/troy oz. 379.200 376.600 -0.2

STEEL SCRAP (2/21) #1 heavy, $/ton 142.50 144.00 2.2

COPPER (2/18) cents/lb. 139.4 136.7 54.4

ALUMINUM (2/18) cents/lb. 91.5 95.5 51.2

COTTON (2/18) strict low

middling 1-1/16 in., cents/lb. 91.36 87.86 26.4

OIL (2/21) $/bbl. 18.86 18.42 32.4

JAPANESE YEN (2/22) 97.00 98.43 104.95

GERMAN MARK (2/22) 1.47 1.51 1.72

BRITISH POUND (2/22) 1.59 1.56 1.48

FRENCH FRANC (2/22) 5.14 5.24 5.84

ITALIAN LIRA (2/22) 1622.5 1606.6 1685.0

CANADIAN DOLLAR (2/22) 1.40 1.40 1.35

MEXICAN PESO (2/22)3 5.775 5.945 3.230

FEDERAL FUNDS (2/21) 5.99% 5.82% 3.25%

COMMERCIAL PAPER (2/21) 3-month 6.14 6.19 3.63

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT (2/22) 3-month 6.13 6.14 3.57

FIXED MORTGAGE (2/17) 30-year 9.04 9.04 7.25

ADJUSTABLE MORTGAGE (2/17) one-year 6.80 6.73 4.32

PRIME (2/22) 9.00 9.00 6.00

PRICES

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

Sources: London Wednesday final setting, Chicago market, Metals Week, Memphis

market, NYMEX

Sources: Center for International Business Cycle Research (CIBCR), Standard &

Poor's, Moody's, Journal of Commerce (index: 1990=100), Dun & Bradstreet

(failures of large companies), Federal Reserve, Labor Dept. CIBCR seasonally

adjusts data on business failures and real estate loans.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

INTEREST RATES

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

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

except for British pound in dollars

Sources: Federal Reserve, HSH Associates, Reuters Holdings PLC

#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