greenbooks · April 17, 1978
Greenbook/Tealbook
Prefatory Note
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CONFIDENTIAL (FR)
April 14, 1978
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
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE DOMESTIC NONFINANCIAL ECONOMY
Page
Industrial production...........................o.........
Sales of new, domestic-model autos............................
Book value of retail trade inventories,.....................
Book value of total manufacturing and trade inventories........
I
3
3
3
TABLES:
Industrial production: Summary..................
Business inventories,.......................
Inventory/sales ratio..,.....................................
................
.............
2
4
4
THE DOMESTIC FINANCIAL ECONOMY
Stock prices............
..................................
5
TABLE:
Interest rates...........................................
7
CORRECTION & UPDATES
Page IV-T-1.................................................
Monetary aggregates..........................................
5
6
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTES
The Domestic Nonfinancial Economy
Industrial production increased 1.4 per cent in March,
following
a downward-revised 0.3 per cent rise in February and a decline of 0.8
per cent in January (not revised).
above that in
March production was 0.9 per cent
December of last year, but in the first three months of
this year industrial production was 0.2 per cent above that in the fourth
quarter of 1977.
Relatively large increases in industrial production were widespread by market and industry groupings except for steel and utilities.
Production of consumer goods rose 2.1 per cent.
Output of automotive
products advanced 10.3 per cent, as auto assemblies rose over 13 per
cent to an annual rate of 9.3 million units.
Production of home goods
recorded a very large increase again in March and that of consumer nondurable goods another moderately large gain.
Output of business equip-
ment, construction supplies, and materials increased 1.2 per cent, 1.1
per cent, and 1.2 per cent, respectively, from February.
Production
of durable goods materials and nondurable goods materials in March each
rose 1.3 per cent from that in February.
Output of mines increased
4.4 per cent last month, reflecting a 39 per cent increase in coal production, as miners returned to work after their extended strike ended,
and about a 7 per cent rise in iron ore production, following
of the strike in
that industry.
the end
- 2 -
Output of utilities are indicated to have declined 2.1 per cent
in March, following a
1.1 per cent decline in February; these declines
represented reductions from a very high level of output in January
because of the return to more normal weather temperatures and because
of conservation of coal use in electric power generation.
Output of
steel (raw steel and steel mill and steel foundry products) declined
1.6 per cent further in March, extending the downtrend in this product
grouping which began last May.
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION: SUMMARY
(Seasonally Adjusted)
1978
Feb.,.Jr..
Indexes, 1967=100
Per Cent Changes
Oct, Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar.
From preceding Mpnth
1977
(p)
(el
Total
139.0
141.0
.3
.3
.3 -.8
.3
1.4
4.2
Products, Total
139.8
142,0
.1
.4
.6 -1.3
.9 1.6
5.1
Final Products
Consumer Goods
Durable
Nondurable
Business Equipment
136.7
143.8
151.4
140.7
154.8
139.1
146.8
159.2
141.8
156.7
-.2
.4
.0
.2
.8 -1.0
-.4
.8
.6
.3
.4 -1.9
.4 -2.9
.4 -6.0
.4 -1.5
.3 -.7
1.8
2.1
5.2
.8
1.2
4.4
2.7
4.5
1.9
8.2
Intermediate Products
Construction Supplies
151.4
149.5
152.6
151.2
.9
1.2
137.8
139.5
.7
Materials
i,-
preliminary
e--estimate
.4
1.1
1.3
1.2
.1 -.1
.5
.5
1.3
1.6
3.4
.7
1.2
7.6
.8
1
.3 1.1 10.9
.0 -.7
1.2
3.0
-3
Sales of new,
-
domestic-model autos in the first ten days of
April are estimated to have been at a 10.0 million unit annual rate,
after adjustment for usual seasonal movements.
This is
only slightly
above the 9.9 million unit rate for March but up from the 9.0 million
unit annual rate in
record rate in
the final third of the month following
the near
the middle third of the month.
The book value of retail trade inventories was little
changed
during February, edging up at only a seasonally adjusted annual rate of
$0.7 billion.
Revised figures indicate that in
January the value of
these stocks rose at an $11.0 billion rate, following a $2.8 billion
rate increase over the preceding three months.
Durable stocks also
only edged up slightly in February-down from the January rise at an
$8.5 billion rate as stocks at automotive dealers fell at a $2.1
billion annual rate; modest increases were reported for most other
categories.
Inventories of nondurable goods were about unchanged follow-
ing a modest increase in January and- only a slight rise in the fourth
quarter.
The ratio of inventories to sales at all retail stores declined
from the January level of 1.48 to 1.44 in February, remaining at a
level above its
average over the past eight years.
The book value of total manufacturing and trade inventories
(manufacturers' inventories, shipments, and orders for the years 1958
to the present have been revised) rose at an annual rate of $28.4 billion
in February, substantially less than the revised January rate of $38.1
billion.
The inventory to sales ratio for total manufacturing and trade
declined to the relatively low level of 1.44 in February from the January
level of 1.47.
-4-
Business Inventories
(Change at annual rates in
seasonally adjusted book value; billions of dollars)
1976
Manufacturing andTrade
Manufacturing
Trade, total
Wholesale
Retail
Durable
Auto
Nondurable
1977
QIl(r) QICr) qI(r)
1978
Jan.(rl) F ,()
SQIV(r)
QI(r)
14.8
9.8
4.9
3.5
1.5
1.7
33.6
10.6
23.0
12.0
11.1
4.3
30.1
15.7
14.3
2.6
11.8
3.8
27.2
10.2
17.1
4-7
12.4
5.6
13.1
2.8
10.3
7.5
2.8
-2.3
38.1
15.2
22.9
11.9
11.0
8.5
28.4
17.6
10.8
10.1
.7
.8
1.3
2.2
2.4
1.3
1.8
6.5
-2.1
-.3
6.7
7.9
6.7
.4
2.4
-.1
Inventory/Sales Ratio
1976
QIV(r)
Manufacturing and Trade
Manufacturing
Trade, total
Wholesale
Retail
p - preliminary
r - revised
1.50
1.66
1.34
1.24
1.42
QI(r)
1.47
1.60
1.34
1.24
1.43
1977
QII(r) QIII(r)
1.47
1.60
1.34
1.21
1.45
1.49
1.61
1.37
1.24
1.48
QIV(r)
1.44
1.56
1.33
1.23
1.43
197f
Jan.(r) Feb.(p)
1.47
1.58
1.36
1.23
1.48
1.44
1.54
1.33
1.21
1.44
-5The Domestic Financial Economy
Stock prices now have climbed, on average, about 2.5 per cent
since the March FOMC meeting.
N.Y.S.E.-listed issues have advanced
approximately 1.5 per cent, while A.S.E.-listed and O-T-C stocks have
risen about 5 per cent.
Market observers have attributed these in-
creases in part to data indicating that the economy is rebounding from
the first quarter's slowdown in economic activity and to the recent
less-than-expected growth in the monetary aggregates.
CORRECTION & UPDATES
Page III-4:
Monetary aggregates table (see attached page 6).
Page IV-T-1: U.S. International Transactions
Line 15 Feb. 1977 should read -691 instead of 691.
-7INTEREST RATES
(One day quotes--in per cent)
Highs
Highs
Lows
Lows
8
Mar.197
Mar. 20
Apr. 13
Short-Term Rates
Federal funds (wkly avg.)
3-month
Treasury bills (bid)
Comm. paper (90-119 days)
Bankers' acceptances
Euro-dollars
CDs (NYC) 90 days
Most often quoted new
6-month
Treasury bills (bid)
Comm. paper (4-6 mos.)
6.86 (4/5)
6.58 (1/11)
6.77 (3/22)
6.74 (4/12)
6.68 (1/11)
6.84 (1/18)
7.03 (1/11)
7.44 (3/29)
6.16
6.63
6.70
7.00
6.16
6.75
6.76
7.25
6.29
6.80
6.85
7.38
6.88 (1/25)
6.65 (1/4)
6.73 (3/15)
6.83 (4/12)
6.90 (1/11)
6.87 (4/12)
6.43 ( 4)
6.66 (1/5)
6.53
6.79
6.70
6.84
7.23 (4/12)
6.85 (1/4)
7.13 (3/15)
7.23 (4/12)
7.00 (1/11)
6.53 (1/4)
6.72
6.92
7.40 (4/12)
3.90 (4/14)
7.05 (1/4)
3.55 (3/3)
7.25 (3/15)
3.60 (3/17)
7.40 (4/12)
7.83 (4/12)
8.06 (4/11)
8.34 (4/13)
7.38 (1/4)
7.71 (1/5)
8.00 (1/5)
7.62
7.88
8.15
7.81
8.05
8.34
8.57
9.31
8.88
8.86
8.28
9.09
8.61
8.48
8.45
9.22
8.70 (3/10)
8.64 (3/17)
8.57 (4/12)
9.31 (4/12)
8.88p (4/14)
8.86p (4/14)
(1/4)
(1/6)
(1/6)
(2/8)
CDs (NYC) 180 days
Most often quoted new
-year
Treasury bills (bid)
CDs (NYC)
Most often quoted new
Prime municipal note
3.90 p (4/14)
Intermediate- and Long-Term
Treasury (constant maturity)
3-year
7-year
20-year
Corporate
Seasoned Aaa
Baa
Aaa Utility New Issue
Recently offered
Municipal
Bond Buyer index
(4/12)
(4/12)
(4/14)
(4/14)
(1/3)
(1/3)
(3/24)
(1/6)
5.76 (4/6)
5.58 (3/16)
5.58 (3/16)
5.74
9.44 (4/3)
9.13 (1/9)
9.33
9.44 (4/3)
Mortgage--average yields in
FNMA auction
CONFIDENTIAL (FR)
April 17,
1978
CLASS II - FOMC
The attached Monetary Aggregates table was inadvertently
left out of Current Economic and Financial Conditions Supplement sent
to you on Friday, April 14, 1978.
-6MONETARY AGGREGATES
(Seasonally adjusted)1977
QIII
QIV
197877QI
Jan
Feb
QI 77-
Marchp QI 78
p
Net changes at annual rates, per cent
Major monetary aggregates
1. M1 (currency plus
demand deposits
8.1
7.2
5.0
9.6
-1.1
3.5
7.3
9.9
8.0
6.4
8.9
4.4
5.1
8.6
3. M 3 (M2 + all deposits at
thrift institutions) 11.9
10.6
7.4
8.7
5.5
5.9
10.4
Bank time & savings deposits
4. Total
10.3
13.0
13.1
12.3
13.7
11.4
11.6
11.2
8.5
7.4
8.4
8.4
6.3
9.5
7.3
5.4
2.2
6.0
0.5
0.5
6.1
9.6
7.0
3.1
6.4
1.2
1.2
7.2
-17.1
-17.8
-8.0
-8.1
8.2
-16.2
-7.5
14.6
11.4
12.0
10.5
14.7
12.2
12.7
7.4
2. M2 (M1 + time & savings
deposits at CBs
other than large CDs)
5. Other than large
negotiable CDs at
weekly reporting banks
6.
8.
Savings deposits
2/
Individuals2/
3/
Other3/
9.
Time deposits
7.
10.
Small time4/
8.3
1.0
2.7
5.1
1.5
11.0
11.
Large time4/
28.1
32.4
29.9
20.4
38.8
14.3
26.1
Deposits at nonbank thrift institutions 5 /
12. Total
15.0
14.4
8.7
8.5
7.2
6.7
13.1
13.
Savings and loans
14.
Mutual savings banks
15.
Credit unions
MEMORANDA:
16. Total US Govt deposits
17.
16.2
15.4
8.9
8.4
6.8
6.7
14.1
9.5
9.9
5.2
5.4
5.4
3.6
8.3
20.1
20.0
17.4
17.9
15.2
15.0
0.2
Total large time deposits 6 / 1.7
18. Nondeposit sources of
funds 7/
1.4
19.4
Average monthly changes, $ billions
0.2
-1.2
-1.7
-2.2
0.4
-0.3
6.2
4.5
3.8
6.0
3.7
3.2
1.3
1.9
2.2
2.5
1.1
1.3
Quarterly growth rates are computed on a quarterly average basis.
Savings deposits held by individuals and nonprofit organizations.
Savings deposits of business, government and others, not seasonally adjusted.
Small time deposits are time deposits in denominations less than $100,000.
Large time deposits are time deposits in denominations of $100,000 and above
excluding negotiable CDs at weekly reporting banks.
5/ Growth rates computed from monthly levels based on averages of current and
preceding end-of-month data.
6/ All large time certificates, negotiable and nonnegotiable, at all CBs.
7/ Nondeposit borrowings of commercial banks from nonbank sources include
Federal funds purchased and security RPs plus other liabilities for borrowed
money, Euro-dollar borrowings and loans sold, less interbank loans.
p--preliminary.
1/
2/
3/
4/
Cite this document
APA
Federal Reserve (1978, April 17). Greenbook/Tealbook. Greenbooks, Federal Reserve. https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_19780418_part3
BibTeX
@misc{wtfs_greenbook_19780418_part3,
author = {Federal Reserve},
title = {Greenbook/Tealbook},
year = {1978},
month = {Apr},
howpublished = {Greenbooks, Federal Reserve},
url = {https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/greenbook_19780418_part3},
note = {Retrieved via When the Fed Speaks corpus}
}