Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

PRODUCTION AND LEADING INDEXES

The production index was little changed in the week ended Mar. 4, but before

calculation of the four-week moving average, it rose to 123.6, from 123.2. The

index has been revised to reflect new seasonal factors for 1994 and 1995. The

index for all of February stood at 123.4, from 123.5 in January.

The leading index, before calculation of the moving average, rose to 254.8,

from 254.4. The index for February increased to 254.6, from 253.9 in January.

BW production index copyright 1994 Bloomberg L.P.

BW leading index copyright 1994 by CIBCR

PRODUCTION INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

STEEL (3/11) thous. of net tons 2,015 1,997# 6.7

AUTOS (3/11) units 145,025 146,825r# -1.8

TRUCKS (3/11) units 120,822 118,478r# 0.1

ELECTRIC POWER (3/11) millions

of kilowatt-hrs. 58,329 60,720# 2.5

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (3/11)

thous. of bbl./day 13,686 13,647# 5.8

COAL (3/4) thous. of net tons 21,198# 22,991r -0.3

PAPERBOARD (3/4) thous. of tons 941.7# 913.2r 8.4

PAPER (3/4) thous. of tons 859.0# 851.0r 3.1

LUMBER (3/4) millions of ft. 449.4# 432.3 -8.7

RAIL FREIGHT (3/4) billions

of ton-miles 24.2# 24.7 6.6

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 (3/10) S&P 500 484.73 485.48 4.0

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (3/10) 8.22% 8.15% 10.5

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (3/10) 113.5 113.0r NA*

BUSINESS FAILURES (3/3) 312 301 -10.6

REAL ESTATE LOANS (3/1) billions $468.3 $466.9r 11.3

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (2/27) billions $3,587.5 $3,585.6r 1.6

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT

(2/25) thous. 332 344 5.7

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. *Historical data

available from CIBCR.

PRICES

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

GOLD (3/15) $/troy oz. 386.150 380.000 0.2

STEEL SCRAP (3/14) #1 heavy, $/ton 137.50 141.50 -1.4

COPPER (3/11) cents/lb. 140.8 136.5 52.2

ALUMINUM (3/11) cents/lb. 90.0 87.5 46.3

COTTON (3/11) strict low middling

1-1/16 in., cents/lb. 107.58 101.39 47.3

OIL (3/14) $/bbl. 17.85 18.62 18.6

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

market, NYMEX

INTEREST RATES

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

FEDERAL FUNDS (3/14) 5.93% 5.93% 3.19%

COMMERCIAL PAPER (3/14) 3-month 6.14 6.18 3.84

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT (3/15) 3-month 6.15 6.21 3.75

FIXED MORTGAGE (3/10) 30-year 8.86 8.72 7.74

ADJUSTABLE MORTGAGE (3/10) one-year 6.53 6.51 4.61

PRIME (3/15) 9.00 9.00 6.00

Sources: Federal Reserve, HSH Associates, Reuters Holdings PLC

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

JAPANESE YEN (3/15) 89.57 90.48 106.15

GERMAN MARK (3/15) 1.39 1.38 1.69

BRITISH POUND (3/15) 1.60 1.63 1.49

FRENCH FRANC (3/15) 4.94 4.94 5.77

ITALIAN LIRA (3/15) 1680.3 1650.5 1674.8

CANADIAN DOLLAR (3/15) 1.42 1.41 1.37

MEXICAN PESO (3/15)3 6.725 6.715 3.293

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

except for British pound 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. 1=Western Wood Products Assn. 2=Southern Forest

Products Assn. 3=Free market value NA=Not available r=revised NM=Not

meaningful