Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

PRODUCTION INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

STEEL (2/17) thous. of net tons 2,085 1,971# 3.3

AUTOS (2/17) units 120,955 131,928r# -18.5

TRUCKS (2/17) units 123,218 118,239r# 3.8

ELECTRIC POWER (2/17)

millions of kilowatt-hrs. NA 68,315# NA

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (2/17)

thous. of bbl./day NA 13,614# NA

COAL (2/10) thous. of net tons 17,955# 17,722 -12.0

PAPERBOARD (2/10) thous. of tons NA# NA NA

PAPER (2/10) thous. of tons NA# NA NA

LUMBER (2/10) millions of ft. 404.8# 392.4 -11.6

RAIL FREIGHT (2/10)

billions of ton-miles 22.5# 22.4 -8.2

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 (2/16) S&P 500 655.37 650.03 35.6

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (2/16) 6.86% 6.87% -16.9

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (2/16) 109.9 109.8 -2.4

BUSINESS FAILURES (2/9) NA 291 NA

REAL ESTATE LOANS (2/7) billions $506.5 $506.5 8.7

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (2/5) billions $3,652.8 $3,643.2r 1.7

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT

(2/3) thous. 366 389 14.7

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.

PRICES

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

GOLD (2/21) $/troy oz. 396.800 403.100 4.9

STEEL SCRAP (2/20) #1 heavy, $/ton 144.50 144.50 1.4

COPPER (2/17) cents/lb. 118.3 121.1 -15.1

ALUMINUM (2/17) cents/lb. 76.0 75.0 -16.9

COTTON (2/17) strict low

middling 1-1/16 in., cents/lb. 81.70 82.00 -10.6

OIL (2/20) $/bbl. 21.05 18.91 11.6

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

market, NYMEX

INTEREST RATES

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

FEDERAL FUNDS (2/20) 5.20% 4.93% 5.94%

COMMERCIAL PAPER (2/21) 3-month 5.16 5.13 6.12

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT

(2/21) 3-month 5.17 5.13 6.11

FIXED MORTGAGE (2/16) 30-year 7.24 7.29 9.04

ADJUSTABLE MORTGAGE (2/16) one-year 5.40 5.39 6.80

PRIME (2/21) 8.25 8.25 9.00

Sources: Federal Reserve, HSH Associates, Reuters Holdings PLC

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

JAPANESE YEN (2/21) 105.08 106.81 96.98

GERMAN MARK (2/21) 1.45 1.47 1.47

BRITISH POUND (2/21) 1.54 1.54 1.59

FRENCH FRANC (2/21) 5.01 5.06 5.15

ITALIAN LIRA (2/21) 1575.5 1580.5 1627.3

CANADIAN DOLLAR (2/21) 1.38 1.38 1.39

MEXICAN PESO (2/21)3 7.525 7.505 5.690

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

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