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Business Week Index

Posted on July 07, 1996

Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

PRODUCTION INDEXThe production index increased moderately during the week ended June 15.However, before calculation of the four-week moving average, the index slippedto 131.6, from 131.9. In the latest week, declines in the seasonally adjustedoutput levels of autos, trucks, and steel, as well as in rail-freight traffic,offset production gains in coal, lumber, paper, and electric power.The leading index will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time.PRODUCTION INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

STEEL (6/22) thous. of net tons 1,983 2,051# 1.6

AUTOS (6/22) units 139,418 142,178r# 11.6

TRUCKS (6/22) units 119,427 123,349r# -4.0

ELECTRIC POWER (6/22) millions of 70,688 66,360# 4.8

kilowatt-hrs.

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (6/22) thous. of bbl./day 14,250 14,252# -3.3

COAL (6/15) thous. of net tons 20,189# 19,828 9.1

PAPERBOARD (6/15) thous. of tons 878.9# 886.0 -7.4

PAPER (6/15) thous. of tons 815.0# 816.0r -1.2

LUMBER (6/15) millions of ft. 480.8# 469.0 8.3

RAIL FREIGHT (6/15) billions of ton-miles 25.5# 25.5 4.9

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 (6/21) S&P 500 666.84 665.85 21.9

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (6/21) 7.90% 7.93% 6.8

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (6/21) 106.0 106.9 -7.4

BUSINESS FAILURES (6/14) NA NA NA

REAL ESTATE LOANS (6/12) billions $507.8 $506.1r 4.9

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (6/10) billions NA NA NA

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT (6/8) thous. 361 354 -4.2

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

& Bradstreet (failures of large companies), Federal Reserve, Labor Dept.

PRICES

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

GOLD (6/26) $/troy oz. 383.800 386.300 -1.4

STEEL SCRAP (6/25)#1 heavy, $/ton 138.50 136.50 -1.4

COPPER (6/22) cents/lb. 105.1 112.5 -27.9

ALUMINUM (6/22) cents/lb. 69.8 70.3 -18.2

COTTON (6/22) strict low middling 79.88 81.67 -25.1

1-1/16 in., cents/lb.

OIL (6/25) $/bbl. 19.88 21.26 11.1

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

market, NYMEX

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

JAPANESE YEN (6/26) 109.55 107.97 84.79

GERMAN MARK (6/26) 1.53 1.52 1.38

BRITISH POUND (6/26) 1.54 1.54 1.59

FRENCH FRANC (6/26) 5.17 5.16 4.86

ITALIAN LIRA (6/26) 1534.9 1535.2 1640.0

CANADIAN DOLLAR (6/26) 1.36 1.37 1.38

MEXICAN PESO (6/26)3 7.603 7.522 6.270

INTEREST RATES

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

except for British pound in dollars

INTEREST RATES

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

FEDERAL FUNDS (6/25) 5.15% 5.27% 5.95%

COMMERCIAL PAPER (6/25) 3-month 5.50 5.50 5.94

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT (6/26) 3-month 5.48 5.46 5.91

FIXED MORTGAGE (6/21) 30-year 8.50 8.57 7.74

ADJUSTABLE MORTGAGE (6/21) one-year 6.08 6.15 5.84

PRIME (6/26) 8.25 8.25 9.00

#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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