Business Week Index

BusinessWeek Index

The production index increased during the week ended Nov. 30. However, beforecalculation of the four-week moving average, the index fell sharply to 132.8,from 134.2. In the latest week, seasonally adjusted output of trucks, lumber,coal, and electric power dropped. For the entire month of November, the indexincreased 0.5% to 132.9, from 132.2 in October.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 (12/7) thous. of net tons 1,924 1,946 # 1.9

AUTOS (12/7) units 127,519 81,467 r# -10.0

TRUCKS (12/7) units 130,287 74,729 r# 5.6

ELECTRIC POWER (12/7) millions of

kilowatt-hrs. 62,753 61,401 # 2.2

CRUDE-OIL REFINING (12/7) thous. of

bbl./day 14,380 14,304 # 1.3

COAL (11/30) thous. of net tons 18,720 # 21,677 -9.0

LUMBER (11/30) millions of ft. 333.2 # 484.5 -21.3

RAIL FREIGHT (11/30) billions of ton-

miles 21.9 # 26.8 -16.7

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

Electric Institute, American Petroleum Institute, Energy Dept., WWPA1, SFPA2,

Association of American Railroads

LEADING INDICATORS

LATEST WEEK YEARLY

WEEK AGO% CHG

STOCK PRICES (12/6) S&P 500 739.60 757.02 19.9

CORPORATE BOND YIELD, Aaa (12/6) 7.10% 7.06% 4.4

INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS PRICES (12/6) 107.1 107.2 -4.0

BUSINESS FAILURES (11/29) NA NA NA

REAL ESTATE LOANS (11/27) billions NA NA NA

MONEY SUPPLY, M2 (11/25) billions $3,791.2 $3,796.8 r 3.9

INITIAL CLAIMS, UNEMPLOYMENT (11/30)

thous. 336 344 r -10.9

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 (12/11) $/troy oz. 368.250 370.900 -5.2

STEEL SCRAP (12/10) #1 heavy, $/ton 116.50 116.50 -13.1

COPPER (12/6) cents/lb. 108.4 111.5 -20.0

ALUMINUM (12/6) cents/lb. 72.3 72.0 -7.1

COTTON (12/7) strict low middling

1-1/16 in., cents/lb. 71.84 71.27 -14.6

OIL (12/10) $/bbl. 24.42 23.73 30.0

CRB FOODSTUFFS (12/10) 1967=100 227.78 228.20 -3.2

CRB RAW INDUSTRIALS (12/10) 1967=100 331.81 332.78 -0.9

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 (12/11) 112.82 113.24 101.92

GERMAN MARK (12/11) 1.54 1.57 1.44

BRITISH POUND (12/11) 1.66 1.64 1.54

FRENCH FRANC (12/11) 5.22 5.29 4.97

ITALIAN LIRA (12/11) 1525.5 1537.5 1597.4

CANADIAN DOLLAR (12/11) 1.36 1.35 1.37

MEXICAN PESO (12/11)*** 7.892 7.860 7.780

TRADE-WEIGHTED DOLLAR INDEX (12/11) 98.6 98.9 95.4

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

except for British pound in dollars. Trade-weighted dollar via J.P. Morgan.

INTEREST RATES

LATEST WEEK YEAR

WEEK AGO AGO

FEDERAL FUNDS (12/10) 5.17% 5.09% 5.73%

COMMERCIAL PAPER (12/11) 3-month 5.44 5.42 5.65

CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT (12/11) 3-month 5.44 5.39 5.67

FIXED MORTGAGE (12/6) 30-year 7.67 7.71 7.43

ADJUSTABLE MORTGAGE (12/6) one-year 5.66 5.66 5.62

PRIME (12/10) 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. 1=Western Wood Products Assn. 2=Southern Forest

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

meaningful

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