[Economic Indicators December, 1996]
[Page Number 31]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
COMMON STOCK PRICES AND YIELDS

On average, stock prices in the first three weeks of December were 
higher than in November.
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                                                                   Common stock prices \1\                                         Common stock yields  
                             ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      (percent) \6\     
                                 New York Stock Exchange indexes (Dec. 31, 1965=50, except as                     Standard &    ------------------------
           Period                                         noted) \2\                               Dow-Jones   Poor's composite                Earnings-
                             --------------------------------------------------------------------  industrial    index (1941-     Dividend-      price  
                               Composite    Industrial  Transportation  Utility \3\    Finance    average \4\     43=10) \5\     price ratio     ratio  
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1986........................       136.00       155.85         119.87        142.72       147.20     1,792.76          236.34           3.49        6.09
1987........................       161.70       195.31         140.39        148.59       146.48     2,275.99          286.83           3.08        5.48
1988........................       149.91       180.95         134.12        143.53       127.26     2,060.82          265.79           3.64        8.01
1989........................       180.02       216.23         175.28        174.87       151.88     2,508.91          322.84           3.45        7.41
1990........................       183.46       225.78         158.62        181.20       133.26     2,678.94          334.59           3.61        6.47
1991........................       206.33       258.14         173.99        185.32       150.82     2,929.33          376.18           3.24        4.79
1992........................       229.01       284.62         201.09        198.91       179.26     3,284.29          415.74           2.99        4.22
1993........................       249.58       299.99         242.49        228.90       216.42     3,522.06          451.41           2.78        4.46
1994........................       254.12       315.25         247.29        209.06       209.73     3,793.77          460.33           2.82        5.83
1995........................       291.15       367.34         269.41        220.30       238.45     4,493.76          541.64           2.56        6.09
                                                                                                                                                        
1995:Nov....................       317.58       398.66         300.06        238.98       266.12     4,935.81          595.53           2.37  ..........
      Dec...................       327.90       412.11         303.53        247.59       273.36     5,136.10          614.57           2.30        5.51
                                                                                                                                                        
1996:Jan....................       329.22       412.71         300.30        254.07       273.73     5,179.37          614.42           2.31  ..........
      Feb...................       346.46       435.92         315.29        257.80       290.97     5,518.73          649.54           2.22  ..........
      Mar...................       346.73       439.56         324.76        245.77       290.45     5,612.24          647.07           2.22        5.27
      Apr...................       347.50       441.99         326.42        244.87       287.92     5,579.86          647.17           2.24  ..........
      May...................       354.84       452.63         334.66        249.73       290.43     5,616.71          661.23           2.21  ..........
      June..................       358.32       458.30         331.57        247.20       294.42     5,671.51          668.50           2.21        5.21
      July..................       345.52       438.58         316.66        245.31       287.89     5,496.26          644.07           2.28  ..........
      Aug...................       354.59       449.41         321.61        244.74       302.95     5,685.50          662.68           2.22  ..........
      Sept..................       360.96       459.69         323.12        242.25       308.16     5,804.01          674.88           2.20      r 5.25
      Oct...................       373.54       473.98         332.93        249.61       324.42     5,996.21          701.46           2.11  ..........
      Nov...................       388.75       490.60         348.32        258.85       345.30     6,318.36          735.67           2.01  ..........
                                                                                                                                                        
Week ended:                                                                                                                                             
1996:Nov23..................       392.28       495.33         351.67        260.08       348.52     6,412.95          742.92           2.00  ..........
           30...............       398.19       502.16         356.86        261.78       357.12     6,524.31          756.25           1.97  ..........
      Dec 7.................       393.82       497.41         356.95        259.35       350.49     6,441.27          746.78           2.00  ..........
           14...............       389.30       492.16         351.33        254.92       346.46     6,389.66          739.21           2.02  ..........
           21...............       387.01       488.66         347.27        252.93       346.60     6,376.30          734.64           2.04  ..........
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    \1\ Average of daily closing 
prices.
    \2\ Includes all the stocks 
(more than 2,000 in 1992) listed on 
the NYSE.
    \3\ Dec. 31, 1965=100. Effective 
April 27, 1993 the NYSE doubled the 
value of the utility index to 
facilitate trading of options and 
futures on the index. All indexes 
shown here reflect the doubling.
    \4\ Includes 30 stocks.
    \5\ Includes 500 stocks.
    \6\ Standard & Poor's series. 
Dividend-price ratios based on 
Wednesday closing prices. Earnings-
price ratios based on prices at end 
of quarter.

    Note.--All data relate to stocks 
listed on the New York Stock 
Exchange (NYSE).

    Sources: New York Stock 
Exchange, Dow-Jones & Company, Inc., 
and Standard & Poor's Corporation.