greenbooks · October 18, 1971
Greenbook/Tealbook
Prefatory Note
The attached document represents the most complete and accurate version available
based on original copies culled from the files of the FOMC Secretariat at the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This electronic document was created
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Please note that some material may have been redacted from this document if that
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1
In some cases, original copies needed to be photocopied before being scanned into electronic
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2
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Content last modified 6/05/2009.
CONFIDENTIAL (FR)
SUPPLEMENT
CURRENT ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS
Prepared for the
Federal Open Market Committee
October 15, 1971
By the Staff
Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES
The Domestic Economy
New homes sold by speculative builders, although
down from the peak reached in July, were at a very advanced rate
in August, as much as three-tenths above a year earlier.
While
the number of homes being held by speculative builders for sale
increased somewhat further in August, it remained quite low
relative to sales.
Continuing an apparent shift in the mix of
sales toward smaller and less expensive units, the median price
of new homes actually sold moved down further in August--to
$24,900.
This was more than $1,000 under the recent high in
June and the lowest since March.
AFTERNOON October 18.)
(CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL MONDAY
-2
-
NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES SOLD AND FOR SALE
Homes
for Sale2/
Homes Sold 1/
(Thousands of units)
Median price of:
Homes for Sale
Homes Sold
(Thousands of dollars)
1969
448
228
25.6
27.0
1970
485
227
23.4
26.2
IIQ
457
518
571
219
215
227
24.4
23.0
22.6
27.0
27.1
26.2
661
626(r)
220
245
24.3
25.8
26.1
26.4
596(r)
621(r)
722(r)
672
233(r)
245
250
259
25.5
26.0(r)
25.3(r)
24.9
26.5
26.4
26.7
26.4
IIIQ
IVQ
1971
IQ
IIQ
1971
May
June
July
Aug 3/
1/
SAAR.
2/
3/
SA, end of period.
August figures and revisions are confidential until Monday
afternoon.
-3-
The Domestic Financial Situation
Mortgage market.
Interest rates on conventional new-
home mortgages remained at an average of 7.85 per cent during
September, according to FHA data, reflecting mixed regional
changes.
Average yields in the more sensitive secondary market
for Federally underwritten home mortgages continued downward for
the second consecutive month, as discounts declined below 7
points.
Gross yield spreads of home mortgages over new issues
of high-grade corporate bonds improved to 40 basis points, the
widest margin since early this year, but offering little, if
any, net investment incentive to diversified lenders after
allowance is made for the higher servicing costs on mortgages.
-4
-
AVERAGE RATES AND YIELDS ON NEW-HOME MORTGAGES
Primary market:
Conventional loans
Yield
spread
Level
(basis
points)
(per cent)
Secondary market:
FHA-insured loans
Yield
spread
Level
(basis
Discount
(points)
(per cent) points)
1970
Low
High
8.30 (Dec)
-56 (June)
8.60 (July,
50 (Dec)
Aug)
8.40
1 (May)
9.29
99 (Feb)
3.1 (Nov)
6.0
(Feb)
1971
April
May
June
7.55
7.65
7.70
- 2
-36
-20
7.37
7.75
7.89
-20
-36
- 1
July
Aug
Sent
7.80
7.85
7.85
-16
20
41
7.97
7.92
7.84
1
27
40
NOTE:
3.1
6.1
7.2
7.8
7.4
6.8
FHA series; interest rates on conventional first mortgages (excluding additional fees and charges) are rounded
to the nearest 5 basis points. On FHA loans carrying the
7 per cent ceiling rate in effect since mid-February 1971,
a change of 1.0 points in discount is associated with a
change of 12 to 14 basis points in yield. Gross yield
spread is average mortgage return, before deducting
servicing costs, minus average yield on new issues of
high grade corporate bonds with 5-year call protection.
September data confidential until released.
-5
-
INTEREST RATES
Highs
Lows
Aug.
1971
13
Sept.
20
Oct.
14
Short-Term Rates
Federal funds (wkly.
avg.)
3-month
Treasury bills (bid)
Bankers' acceptances
Euro-dollars
Federal agencies
Finance paper
CD's (prime NYC)
Most often quoted new
Secondary market
5.59(9/15)
5.53(7/19)
5.62(8/23)
10.00(8/17)
5.70(7/30)
5.62(8/16)
5.75(8/11)
6.05(8/18)
6-month
Treasury bills (bid)
5.84(7/24)
Bankers' acceptances
5.75(8/23)
Commercial paper (4-6 mo.)5.88(8/18)
Federal agencies
6.02(7/30)
CD's (prime NYC)
Most often quoted new
6,00(8/11)
Secondary market
6.40(8/18)
1-year
Treasury bills (bid)
CD's (prime NYC)
Most often quoted new
Prime municipals
3.29(3/10) 5.59(8/11) 5.59(9/15) 5.29(10/13
5.15
5.62
7.89
5.58
3.62(3/15) 5.50
3.22(3/11)
3.88(3/10)
4.94(3/17)
3.27(2/24)
4.43
4.72
5.00
5.50
6.69
8.21
5.23(9/ 17) 4.68
5.25
5.38
5.25
5.62
3.62(3/24) 5.75
3.80(3/17) 5.88(8/11) 5.68(9/15) 5.34
3.35(3/11) 5.51
4.00(3/10) 5.75(e)
4.00(3/29) 5.88
3.53(3/10) 5.83
5.00
5.62(e)
5.75
5.24(9/17)
4.55
5.12(e)
5.62
4.80
5.38
4.00(3/24) 6.00
5.75
6.25(8/11) 6.00(9/15) 5.50
3.70(3/3)
6.01(7/28) 3.45(3/11) 5.85
5.19
4.72
6.25
3.60(8/12) 2.15(3/24) 3.60
5.75
3.10
5.62
2.70
Treasury coupon issues
5-years
20-years
7.03(8/10) 4.74(3/22) 6.78
6.56(6/15) 5.69(3/23) 6.32
6.16
6.07
5.87
5.92
Corporate
Seasoned Aaa
Ba
7.71(8/13) 7.05(2/16) 7.71
8.93(1/5) 8.33(2/25) 8.87
7.42
8.66
7.39
8.48
8.23(5/20) 6.76(1/29) 7.97
7.56(9/17) 7.22
Municipal
Bond Buyer Index
Moody's Aaa
6.23(6/24) 5.00(3/18) 6.03
5.90(6/30) 4.75(2/11) 5.80
5.38(9/17) 4.99
5.10(9/15) 4.65
Mortgage--implicit yield
in FNNA auction 1/
8.07(7/26)
7.88(9/8)
6.25(8/11)
4.38(3/3)
Intermediate and Long-Term
New Issue Aaa
1/
7.32(4/12)
--
7.85(10/4)
Yield on 3-month forward commitment after allowance for commitment fee and
required purchase and holding of FN.I
stock. Assumes discount on 30-year
loan amortized over 15 years.
e--estimated.
i
-6
-
International Developments
On October 14 the Bank of Italy followed the lead
of the Bundesbank (p. IV-16) and announced reductions, effective
immediately, in its discount rate from 5 to 4-1/2 per cent and
in its rate on advances from 5 to 4 per cent.
In London many
market participants had expected a Bank of England rate change
on Thursday, but this did not occur.
CORRECTIONS:
Page 11-5, line 6.
The industrial production index
figure should have been 105.1 for August as shown on page
I-T-1.
(However, this is subject to revision when the September
index is released, October 18.)
Page II-4A.
Gross National Product and Related Items -
the high employment surplus or deficit should be
$4.9 billion
in QII 1972, not +$4.9 billion, as shown.
Page III-8.
July 26,
Table footnote should include:
"Beginning
auctions are only for 3-month commitments."
Last paragraph should begin:
quarter,...".
"During the third
Cite this document
APA
Federal Reserve (1971, October 18). Greenbook/Tealbook. Greenbooks, Federal Reserve. https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_19711019_part3
BibTeX
@misc{wtfs_greenbook_19711019_part3,
author = {Federal Reserve},
title = {Greenbook/Tealbook},
year = {1971},
month = {Oct},
howpublished = {Greenbooks, Federal Reserve},
url = {https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_19711019_part3},
note = {Retrieved via When the Fed Speaks corpus}
}