Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

PRODUCTION INDEXThe production index was unchanged for the week ended Oct. 19. Beforecalculation of the four-week moving average, the index increased modestly to133.3, from 132.8 for the week of Oct. 12. For the latest week, gains in theseasonally adjusted production of trucks, electric power, lumber, and autosoffset a steep decline in steel output as well as lower coal production.The leading index will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time.BW production index copyright 1996 Bloomberg L.P.PRODUCTION INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

STEEL (10/26) thous. of net tons 1,939 1,892# 1.4

AUTOS (10/26) units 109,961 125,792r# -16.2

TRUCKS (10/26) units 113,647 123,751r# -2.0

ELECTRIC POWER (10/26)

millions of kilowatt-hrs. 58,587 58,896# 2.7

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (10/26) thous. of bbl./day 14,279 14,141# 4.2

COAL (10/19) thous. of net tons 21,207# 21,675 0.9

LUMBER (10/19) millions of ft. 497.6# 470.1 6.5

RAIL FREIGHT (10/19) billions of ton-miles 26.9# 26.6 2.3

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

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

& Paper Association, WWPA*, SFPA**, Association of American Railroads

LEADING INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO % CHG

STOCK PRICES (10/25) S&P 500 700.92 710.82 20.4

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (10/25) 7.58% 7.59% 4.4

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (10/25) 106.4 106.9 -4.0

BUSINESS FAILURES (10/18) NA NA NA

REAL ESTATE LOANS (10/16) billions NA NA NA

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (10/14) billions $3,769.2 $3,768.5 3.7

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT (10/19) thous. 320 342r -12.1

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 (10/30) $/troy oz. 379.700 383.500 -0.7

STEEL SCRAP (10/29) #1 heavy, $/ton 126.50 126.50 -8.7

COPPER (10/25) cents/lb. 101.1 95.5 -23.1

ALUMINUM (10/25) cents/lb. 65.5 64.0 -14.9

COTTON (10/26) strict low middling

1-1/16 in., cents/lb. 70.51 71.53 -15.1

OIL (10/29) $/bbl. 24.22 25.80 37.1

CRB FOODSTUFFS INDEX (10/29)

1967=100 243.11 245.35 -0.7

CRB RAW INDUSTRIALS INDEX (10/29)

1967=100 328.28 330.55 -1.7

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

market, NYMEX, Commodity Research Bureau

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

JAPANESE YEN (10/30) 113.89 112.70 103.96

GERMAN MARK (10/30) 1.51 1.52 1.43

BRITISH POUND (10/30) 1.63 1.60 1.58

FRENCH FRANC (10/30) 5.10 5.14 4.92

ITALIAN LIRA (10/30) 1513.8 1524.9 1598.5

CANADIAN DOLLAR (10/30) 1.34 1.34 1.35

MEXICAN PESO (10/30)*** 7.995 7.840 7.300

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 (10/29) 5.22% 5.19% 5.76%

COMMERCIAL PAPER (10/30) 3-month 5.41 5.42 5.79

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT (10/30)

3-month 5.38 5.41 5.77

FIXED MORTGAGE (10/25) 30-year 8.09 8.09 7.70

ADJUSTABLE MORTGAGE (10/25)

one-year 5.88 5.88 5.76

PRIME (10/29) 8.25 8.25 8.75

Sources: Federal Reserve, HSH Associates, Bloomberg Financial Markets

#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. *=Western Wood Products Assn. **=Southern Forest

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

meaningful

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