greenbooks · February 17, 1976
Greenbook/Tealbook
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of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This electronic document was created
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Content last modified 6/05/2009.
February 13,
CONFIDENTIAL (FR)
CLASS II - FOMC
SUPPLEMENT
CURRENT ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS
Prepared for the
Federal Open Market Committee
By the Staff
Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System
1976
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
THE DOMESTIC NONFINANCIAL ECONOMY
Wholesale prices.......too .........................
.....
Industrial commodities................................
Inventories................................
.. .............
Merchant builder sales....................................
TABLES:
Wholesale prices.........................................
Home sales.................. ....................
.......
THE DOMESTIC FINANCIAL ECONOMY
Mortgage market..........................................
TABLES:
Average rates and yields on newhome mortgages..
...........................................
Interest rates............................................
ERRATAS
Part I.....................................................
6
Part II.............................
6
...................
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES
The Domestic Nonfinancial Economy
Wholesale prices.
The wholesale price index was virtually
unchanged, seasonally adjusted, from December to January as a rise for
industrial commodities offset a decline for farm and food products.
WHOLESALE PRICES
(Per cent changes at annual rates; based on seasonally adjusted data) 1/
Relative
imporDec. 73
to
tance
Dec. 75 Dec. 74
All commodities
Dec. 74
to
Dec. 75
Dec. 74
to
June 75
June 75
to
Dec. 75
Dec. 75
to
Jan. 76
100.0
20.9
4.2
Farm and food products
22.8
11.0
-0.3
-8.0
Industrial commodities
Materials, crude and
intermediate 2/
77.2
25.6
6.0
3.4
8.7
4.5
48.3
28.2
5.3
2.1
8.6
3.6
18.6
11.8
20.5
22.6
6.7
8.2
3.9
8.4
9.6
7.9
9.3
11.1
13.0
Finished goods
Consumer nonfoods
Producer goods
Memo:
Consumer foods
1/
2/
.3
8.3
- .2
3.1
-21.9
7.2
3.8
-26.4
Not compounded for one-month changes.
FR estimate.
Industrial commodities rose 0.4 per cent, seasonally adjusted,
with increases widespread.
Higher prices for machinery and equipment,
lumber and wood products, transportation equipment, metals and metal
products, and chemicals and allied products accounted for most of the
rise.
A decline for fuels and related products and power was partially
offsetting.
-2-
The index of farm and food products fell 1.8 per cent, seasonally
adjusted, owing largely to declines for livestock, meats, and fresh
vegetables.
Inventories.
Book value of retail trade inventories fell at
a $9.1 billion annual rate in December, slightly slower than the $9.6
billion November rate of decrease and averaging to a $.1 billion rate of
increase in the fourth quarter.
This compares to an increase of $8.8
billion in third quarter at an annual rate.
The retail trade inventory-
sales ratio fell to 1.41, the lowest level since March 1966, while the
nondurable ratio was at its lowest point since October of 1947.
For manufacturing and trade the rate of inventory runoff was
$6.3 billion in December, slower than the $9.6 billion November rate of
runoff, averaging only a $1.8 billion rate of accumulation in the fourth
quarter compared with the $5.4 billion third quarter rate of growth.
The manufacturing and trade inventory-sales ratio fell to 1.51 in
December from 1.53 in November.
Merchant builder sales of new single-family homes, which had
increased sharply in November, edged down 3 per cent in December to a
seasonally adjusted annual rate of 640,000 units.
For the fourth
quarter as a whole, sales averaged 12 per cent above the third quarter
and more than 50 per cent above the recent trough in the fourth quarter
of 1974.
The strength in the fourth quarter home sales rate may have
reflected, in part, the nearness of the year-end expiration date for
the 5 per cent tax credit enacted late last March.
- 3 -
The stock of unsold single-family homes was unchanged
between the end of November and the end of 1975.
it
represented about 7 months'
At 379,000 units,
supply at the December sales rate.
Existing home sales reached a new high in December of
131 (1972=100), 6 per cent above a month earlier.
The fourth quarter
average was 13 per cent above the average in preceding quarter and
35 per cent above the low a year earlier.
HOME SALES
New Home Sales and Stocks
Homes
Homes
Months'
sold 1/ for sale 2/ supply
(thousands of units)
Median Prices
Sales Indexes of Unit Vol. of Homes Sold
(1972=100, sea. adjusted) New Existing
New
Existing
homes
homes
(thou. of $)
homes
homes 3/
1974
QI
QII
QIII
QIV
523
550
490
417
452
436
414
400
10.4
9.5
10.1
11.5
73
77
68
58
106
105
99
93
35.2
35.6
36.2
37.3
30.9
32.2
32.8
32.2
QI
QII
QIII (r)
QIV (p)
425
571
566
635
396
378
383
379
11.2
7,9
8.1
7.2
59
80
79
88
95
108
112
126
38.1
39.0
38.8
41.3
33.8
35.4
36.1
35.6
Oct. (r)
Nov. (r)
Dec. (p)
596
664
645
388
379
379
7.8
6.9
7.1
83
92
89
122
124
131
40.7
41.1
42.4
35.4
35.7
35.8
1975
1/ Seasonally adjusted annual rate.
2/ Seasonally adjusted, end of period.
3/ Converted to 1972 index for comparison with existing home sales,
which are not available on any other basis.
-4-
The Domestic Financial Economy
Mortgage market.
According to the HUD (FHA) opinion survey,
average interest rates on new commitments for conventional new- and
existing-home mortgages declined during January by 10 basis points.
Yields on FHA-insured new-home mortgages for immediate delivery in the
private secondary market fell by 26 basis points to 9.06 per cent.
These rate movements are generally consistent with the primary and
secondary market yields cited in the Greenbook.
AVERAGE RATES AND YIELDS ON NEW-HOME MORTGAGES
(HUD-FHA Field Office Opinion Survey)
Primary market
End
of
Month
1975-Low
High
Conventional loans
Level 2/
Spread 4/
Secondary market 1/
Level 3/
FHA-insured loans
Discounts
Spread 4/
(points)
(per cent)
(basis points)
(per cent)
(basis points)
8.90 (March)
-70 (March)
8.69 (March)
-91 (March)
2.4 (Dec.)
9.25 (Sept.,
15 (Jan.)
9.74 (Sept.)
31 (Oct.)
6.2 (Aug.)
Oct.)
July
9.00
-25
9.13
-12
4.8
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
9.15
9.25
9.25
9.20
9.15
-34
-45
+30
---
9.32
9.74
9.53
9.41
9.32
-17
+ 4
+31
---
6.2
5.5
4.0
3.1
2.4
9.05
39
9.06
40
2.4
1976-Jan.
1/
2/
Any gaps in data are due to periods of adjustment to
missible contract rates on FHA-insured loans.
Average contract rates (excluding fees or points) on
changes in maximum percommitments for conventional
first mortgage loans, rounded to the nearest 5 basis points.
3/ Average gross yield (before deducting servicing costs) to investors on 30-year
minimum-downpayment FHA-insured first mortgages for immediate delivery in the
private secondary market (excluding FNMA), assuming prepayment in 15 years.
4/ Average gross mortgage rate or yield minus average yield on new issues of Aaa
utility bonds in the last week of the month. (There were no issues of Aaa
bonds during the last week of November and December.)
-5
-
INTEREST RATES
(One day quotes--in per cent)
1975
1976
11
Jan. 19
Feb.
5.13(5/21)
4.76(1/14)
4.73
1/2)
1/2)
1/1)
1/3)
4.38(6/16)
5.33( 6/2)
5.40(5/30)
5.69(5/21)
4.79
4.83
5.13
5.05
5.44
5.13
5.00
5.50
9.00( 1/1)
5.38(6/11)
5.00(1/14)
5.13
7.05(8/25)
8.75( 1/2)
5.13(6/11)
5.38(5/23)
5.07
5.25
7.67( 1/2)
5.68(6/12)
5.47
5.12
5.25
5.35(2/5)
8.38( 1/1)
5.75(6/18)
5.38(1/14)
5.50
7.35(8/21)
8.00(8/25)
5.37( 2/5)
6.03(2/20)
5.37
6.10
5.46
6.02(2/5)
8.00( 1/1)
4.35(3/15)
6.00(3/12)
3.40( 2/7)
6.25(1/14)
3.20(1/16)
6.00
3.05(2/6)
8.56(9/16)
8.71(9/16)
6.93(2/19)
7.58(2/21)
7.46
8.00
7.50
3.10
9.02(4/30)
10.63(1/20)
8.57(2/26)
10.27( 4/3)
8.60
10.22
8.57
10.12
9.80( 4/3)
8.89( 2/6)
8.64(1/16)
8.63(2/4)
7.67(10/2)
6.27(2/13)
7.09(1/14)
6.95
9.95(10/6)
9.95(10/6)
3.78(3/10)
8.78(3/10)
9.13(1/14)
9.13(1/14)
9.07(2/9)
Highs
Lows
Short-Term Rates
Federal funds (wkly. avg.)
3-month
Treasury bills (bid)
Comm. paper (90-119 day)
Bankers' acceptances
Euro-dollars
CD's (NYC) 90-119 day
Most often quoted new
6-month
Treasury bills (bid)
Comm. paper (4-6 mo.)
federal agencies
CD's (NYC) 180-269 day
Most often quoted new
1-year
Treasury bills (bid)
Federal agencies
CD's (NYC)
Most often quoted new
Prime municipals
7.70( 1/8)
6.90(
9.00(
9.00(
10.25(
Intermediate and Long-Term
Treasury coupon issues
5-years
20-years
Corporate
Seasoned Aaa
Baa
New Issue Aaa Utility
Municipal
Bond Buyer Index
Mortgage--average yield in
F1MA auction
9.07(219)
-6-
ERRATAS:
GNP tables, pp. I - 9 to I - 12
Part I:
GNP Final Purchases
Private
Excluding
Total
Total Final
Net Exports
Private
purchases
p. I-9
(Bill $, SAAR)
LEVELS
1976 - I
II
III
IV
1977 - I
II
p. I-10
1,610.3
1,651.9
1,260.7
1,295.1
1,242.2
1,277.8
1,694.5
1,738.5
1,781.3
1,824.6
1,330.1
1,364.4
1,400.0
1,436.9
1,314.3
1,349.7
1,387.4
1,426.4
CHANGES
1976 - I
36.9
1976 - I
9.7
II
III
IV
(Bill $, SAAR)
35.0
31.1
(Per cent at Annual Rate)
10.5
11.5
11.1
10.7
1977 - I
p. I-11
10.9
LEVELS
1976
p. 1-12
1,312.6
1,673.8
CHANGES
1.976
160.6
1976
10.6
(Bill $)
130.3
(Per cent)
11.0
1,296.0
135.2
Part II:
PII-5, lower table; footnote should read:
"NOTE:
Real wage and
salary disbursements and real personal income are published
data deflated by the consumer price index.
Reference months
are specific highs and lows for deflated wage and salary
component."
-7-
pII-10,lower table; second line of title should read:
"(Seasonally
adjusted, measured in millions of square feet)".
pII-12,lower table; second line of title should read:
"(Seasonally
adjusted monthly averages, billions of dollars)".
Cite this document
APA
Federal Reserve (1976, February 17). Greenbook/Tealbook. Greenbooks, Federal Reserve. https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_19760218_part2
BibTeX
@misc{wtfs_greenbook_19760218_part2,
author = {Federal Reserve},
title = {Greenbook/Tealbook},
year = {1976},
month = {Feb},
howpublished = {Greenbooks, Federal Reserve},
url = {https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_19760218_part2},
note = {Retrieved via When the Fed Speaks corpus}
}