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Notes for FOMC Meeting
April 18, 1978
Scott E. Pardee
Since the last meeting of the FOMC, the dollar has gained resiliency in the
exchange market and has even firmed somewhat over recent days.
This better tone has not stemmed from an improvement in fundamentals by any
means. The latest U.S. trade figures have not been encouraging. The U.S. is still without
an energy bill. Recent figures show that industrial production in Japan and Germany has
not been as robust as hoped. Moreover, price comparisons are less favorable than they
were, with a quickening in our underlying rate of inflation while many major countries
abroad continue to show progress toward greater price stability.
The market’s attitude toward the dollar has nevertheless shifted away from the
extreme pessimism of recent months. This mainly reflects a change in perception of U.S.
policy. The various efforts of the U.S. authorities to reassure the market that they are
indeed concerned about the integrity of the dollar and about domestic inflation are now
generally taken to be sincere. Many market participants remain skeptical, however, that
the authorities will be able to deal effectively with these problems.
For the time being, at least, the rush out of dollars seems to have stopped. Even
the yen has eased back in recent days, despite news of another record trade surplus for
March. In general, against currencies like the yen and the mark, there is little evidence of
new short dollar positions being built up, while earlier short positions may have been
trimmed somewhat. The build-up in adverse leads and lags also seems to have tapered
off, and the dollar’s very resiliency in the face of otherwise bad news suggests that some
natural unwinding of earlier leads and lags is taking place. In addition, we have seen and
heard of shifts back into dollars by central [unintelligible] other currencies. But such
evidence remains scattered. With market psychology still basically negative towards the
dollar’s long-term outlook, any number of adverse developments could lead to renewed
heavy selling pressure.
During the four week period, we intervened on only two occasions for a total
amount of $120 million equivalent of German marks. Some $20 million of this was
financed out of System balances. The remaining $100 million was financed by equal
drawings by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury on their respective swap lines with the
Bundesbank.
The Treasury has now drawn the full $1 billion available under the January 4
swap facility. Procedures are now in place for the Treasury to use SDRs to acquire
additional marks from the Bundesbank to finance further intervention. We have
continued to pick up mark balances from correspondents and the Treasury has begun to
share in the purchases, providing it with a modest cushion.
Federal Reserve indebtedness under the swap line with the Bundesbank now
amounts to $1,843 million. Meanwhile, the System has accumulated some $125 million
equivalent of mark balances, with the result that we actually reduced our net open
position by some $30 million over the last four weeks. To enable us to show some
progress in unwinding swap debt in our next published report, which will cover the
period February through April, we are considering making a modest swap repayment
toward the end of this month.
PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOMC
APRIL 18, 1978
During the month of May, the System has nine maturing swap drawings on the
Bundesbank totaling $304 million and four on the Swiss National bank totaling $50
million. I recommend that the Committee approve that these swaps be renewed. They
are all first renewals.
James L. Kichline
4/18/78
Introduction -- FOMC Chart Show
In our briefings this morning we will be referring to the
package of chart materials distributed to you.
The first chart indi-
cates the principal assumptions that underlie the staff's forecast of
economic and financial developments.
For monetary policy, the assumptions
are consistent with longer-run Alternative B in the Bluebook, which
incorporates a shifting forward of the base level to the first quarter
of 1978.
On the fiscal side, we continue to assume a $25 billion tax
cut--mainly effective at the beginning of the next fiscal year--and
budget outlays in line with our assumption for the past few months.
At
present, a great deal of uncertainty attaches to the tax assumption; the
Congress may well alter appreciably the size, composition, and perhaps
timing of the Administration's proposed tax program.
The crude oil
tax portion of the energy program also faces an uncertain fate in the
Congress.
The next chart displays several key indicators of recent
economic activity.
Retail sales and industrial production increased
strongly late in the first quarter, after being depressed earlier by
severe winter weather and the lengthy coal strike.
Nonfarm employment
continued to grow at an exceptional pace throughout the first quarter as
businesses apparently have plans to add to production schedules.
On the
disappointing side, the merchandise trade deficit widened substantially
in the first two months of the year.
Over-all, real GNP growth was small
in the first quarter but current indicators suggest we entered this
quarter on a strong upbeat.
Mr. Zeisel will continue the presentation
with a discussion of domestic economic prospects and likely price
developments.
CONFIDENTIAL (FR) CLASS II-FOMC
Materialfor
Staff Presentationto the
Federal Open Market Committee
April 18, 1978
PRINCIPAL ASSUMPTIONS
MONETARY POLICY
*
Growth of M1 averaging 51/4%
annual rate
from Ql 1978 base
*
Growth of M2 averaging 73/4%
annual rate
from QI 1978 base
FISCAL POLICY
*
Tax cut of $25 billion in FY 1979
*
Unified budget expenditures of $455 billion
in FY 1978 and $500 billion in FY 1979
ENERGY PROGRAM
*
Wellhead tax of $3.50 per barrel on
domestically produced "old" oil beginning
mid-1978
CURRENT ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Billions of di
1977
1978
JFM
J F M
1977
1978
1978
1977
1977
1978
Change from previous quarter,
annual rate, millions
NONFARM EMPLOYMENT
*
Manufacturing
-4
12
1976
1977
AUTO SALES
1978
Millions of units
-- 10
Domestic
Foreign
197
1976
19717
1977
1978
CONSUMER ATTITUDES
Index *
100
Conference Board
so80
Michigan Survey
40
40
1974
1975
1976
* Michigan Survey Research Center Index of Consumer Sentiment (1966
Consumer Confidence (1969-1970=100)
1977
Q1= 100) and Conference Board
1978
Index of
BUSINESS INVENTORIES
Billions
Moving Average
1976
1977
1978
Ratio
Inventories Relative To Sales
-1.5
-J
197
1976
19717
1977
1978
I
A
HOMES SOLD
Millions of units
New and Existing
1974
1976
1975
1977
1978
OUTSTANDING COMMITMENTS AT
SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS
1979
Billions of dollars
-30
--420
I
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
STARTS
1979
Millions of units
S2.0
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
GOVERNMENT PURCHASES OF
GOODS AND SERVICES
Change from previous period,
annual rate, per cent
S10
I
------
s
------
0
5
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
GOVERNMENT PURCHASES
RELATIVE TO GNP
1974
1975
1979
Per cent
1976
1977
1978
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS
REAL NEW ORDERS
Billionsof 1972 dollars
Millions of square feet
12
Nondefense Capital Goods
80
Commercial and
Industrial Structures
S10
60
S8
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
40
1974
1975
1977
1976
BUSINESS FIXED INVESTMENT
1978
Billionsof 1
//
/
^/
/0e
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
.0
1979
Change from previous quarter,
annual rate, per cent
REAL GNP
S1972 Dollars
10
5
0
5
10
1974
1975
1976
1977
1979
1 )78
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Per cent
-8
-
197
1974
197
1975
197
1976
19717817
1977
1978
m
-6
1979
GNP PRICE INDEXES
Change from previous period,
annual rate, per cent
Total
10
Food
I I
10
FBI'I
II
-----------iiinnimi
---------
II
I
1 I I I
I II
-- -- -
--- -- --
Total Less Food and Energy
1975
1976
1977
-5
0I
r-10
r-
1974
I
'
1978
-
5-
1979
NET EXPORTS
Seasonally adjusted, annual rates, billions of dollars
-
20
GNP Net Exports of
Goods and Services
0
Trade Balance
/ "'
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
Seasonally adjusted, 19
Ratio of Foreign Real GNP to
U.S. Real GNP
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
20
-
40
-.
/
1974
-
1979
U.S. INTERNATIONAL PRICE COMPETITIVENESS
CPI Adjusted Foreign Exchange
Value of the Dollar
1975=100
SPrice Adjusted Dollar=
10o
Foreign Exchange ValueyRelative Consumer Prices
104
100
96
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1975=100
-
Foreign Exchange Value'
-of the U.S. Dollar
- 10
104
100
Relative Consumer Prices
Foreign*/U.S.
96
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
*Weighted average against G-10 countries plus Switzerland using total 1972 trade
of these countries.
U.S. MERCHANDISE TRADE
Non-Oil Imports
Percentage change
Oil Imports
Percentage change
Value
Value
+25.9
+19.6
-78
Price
+1 0.6+11
+
-Price
2
1
.6
+9.5
0
QuantityQuantity
+24.6
+10.8
+5.3
0
-167
-18
0IM
1975
1976
1977
1978
Non-Agricultural
Exports
'79H1/781
/ 781
Percentage change
+25.4
[Walue
+ 12.2
+5.3
1976
1977
Agricultural
Exports
1978
'79H1/78H1
Percentage change
I
I II
r.I.
i
1975
Value
II
+76
IU
I
+51
,i
+4.2
-0.8
+0.4
+20
-2.1
+03
+2.7
+17
Price
Price
+62
M
+55
F.M.
+9 7
-
+8.1
+1.8
r!
-2.3
Quantity
+15.9
Quantity
r9
+12.0
II
-3.7
-0
3
+2.2
II
+18
e
Ii
1975
1976
1977
1978
791
1975
1976
1977
1978
'79H
-6.1
78H1
m
1975 1976
1976
1975
+2.3
1977
1978
1977
1978
'7
,
GROWTH IN GNP
AND MONEY
Change from previous quarter,
annual rate, per cent
A
-15
S1
- 10
4,
1974
1975
FUNDS RAISED
1976
1977
5
1979
1978
Billions of dollars
r-i
300
H
S
-
200
CORPORATE FINANCE
Borrowing
Billions of dollars
CI4.
Long-Term
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
Balance Sheet Ratios
1979
Per Cent
-1I
Liquid Assets to
Short-Term Liabilities
-125
Short-Term Debt to
Total Debt
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
Change from previous period
annual rate, per cent
-
20
-
10
-0
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
BANK BALANCE SHEET RATIOS
+
19779
Per cent
Securities to Earning Assets
Managed Liabilities to
Earning Assets
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
-
30
-
25
Change from previous quarter,
annual rate, per cent
DEPOSIT GROWTH
S&L's and MSB's
-
15
--
10
--A 5
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
HOME MORTGAGE LENDING
1979
Billions
K
MIB Federal* and Other
E
] Depositary Institutions
1974
1975
* Includes FHLBs Lending
1
1977
1978
1979
Joseph S. Zeisel
April 18, 1978
FOMC BRIEFING
Given the strength of the economic rebound in the past
few months, we expect that by mid-year, activity will have recovered
most of the first quarter shortfall.
Consumer demand, supported
by employment and income gains, should play a key role.
The top
panel of the first chart, beyond the yellow separating sheet,
indicates the impressive gains in nonfarm payroll employment in the
first quarter, in the face of the unusual winter weather and the
coal strike.
Moreover, as can be seen in the shaded section of the
bars, a significant proportion of that growth has been in manufacturing
employment, which had fared rather indifferently for much of last year.
With the recovery of the workweek from reduced January-February levels,
these employment gains are currently being reflected in stronger
take-home pay.
Furthermore, there are indications of consumers willingness
to spend.
As the bottom panel shows, car purchases--a particularly
- 2 sensitive component of the consumer market--picked up strongly last
month after sliding for almost a year, and the high sales rate
continued in early April.
The improved car sales may of course be
transitory, reflecting better weather and sales-incentive contests,
but as the next chart shows--consumer attitudes as measured by both
the Conference Board and Michigan surveys have remained at comparatively
high levels.
Another sector of demand which should be supportive of
industrial activity in the short-run is business inventory accumulation--
the next chart.
Despite a drawdown of coal stocks, inventory
investment picked up strongly in the first quarter, following a
sharply reduced rate of growth late last year.
Some rebound was
expected since, as the bottom panel indicates, the inventory sales
ratio had dropped substantially by late '77--to near the lower end
of postwar experience.
The latest reading for this ratio remains low,
suggesting the need for further additions to stocks in coming months,
even if only to maintain parity between inventories and recent increases
in sales.
- 3On the other hand, residential construction--shown in the next
chart--appears on the verge of turning down, as we have been expecting.
As the top panel shows, total home sales dropped significantly in both
January and February.
It is not clear how much of this may have
been weather-related, but certainly the downturn in outstanding
commitments at S&L's--portrayed in the middle panel--appears to
foretell a weakening in starts.
Given the less accommodative financial
markets that appear in prospect, it looks as if housing starts--the
bottom panel--will not reattain
late '77 levels this year; we
project starts to drop to about a 1.8 million rate by year-end, and then
to level off, supported in large part by mortgage funds made available
through Federal sources.
The next chart illustrates another sector where the
contribution to over-all economic activity is expected to be diminishing.
As the top panel indicates, the rate of real growth of government
purchases--Federal, State and local--is projected to be somewhat more
moderate in the next
year or so.
The sharp drop in the Federal component
- 4 -4this quarter represents a fall off in CCC payments, but the moderation
in growth of government spending generally--particularly at the State
and local level--reflects the smaller contribution of Federal counter-
cyclical revenue sharing and public employment programs later this
year.
As is indicated in the bottom panel, total government purchases
as a share of GNP are expected to drift down over the next year.
While
this would tend to have a salutory effect on the deficit, in the short-run,
the result is to damp real GNP growth.
With less contribution from housing and government, our
outlook thus critically depends on business fixed capital outlays to
help sustain the momentum of the economy
beyond mid-year.
While not
showing all the vigor one might desire, real gains in this sector still
appear likely to provide continued substantial support.
As the top left panel in the next chart shows, real new orders for
nondefense capital equipment have continued to trend upward, rising
by close to 15 per cent since last year.
Moreover, the recovery in
building contracts over the past year suggests that we may finally get
- 5 some significant increases in plant construction later in '78.
As
the bottom panel shows, we are forecasting a sustained rate of real
increase in business fixed investment averaging 6-1/2 per cent
at annual rates through mid '79--considerably more than the rate of
GNP growth.
On balance, as the next chart shows, following a strong
rebound in real GNP growth of about 6-3/4 per cent in the second
quarter, we are now projecting the gain in real GNP over the subsequent
four quarters to average close to 4-1/2 per cent.
This is slightly
less than indicated by last month's projection--the result mainly
of the damping effects of the greater foreign trade deficit now
projected.
In addition to the continued rise expected for fixed
capital spending, we are projecting a better-than-average increase
in personal consumption expenditures, representing in part the effects
of the tax cut assumed for late this year.
But as is evident in the bottom panel, we expect only a
modest further reduction in unemployment--to about a 5-3/4 per cent
rate in mid '79 reflecting smaller employment gains.
The labor
- 6 force is likely to continue up at a fairly rapid pace, since the
rise in living costs will continue to influence secondary workers
to seek work.
As is evident in the next chart, the acceleration in prices
recently--to close to a 7-1/2 per cent rate in the first half of
1978--is largely a function of higher food prices, reflecting mainly
reduced supplies of meat.
This situation is now expected to affect
food prices through the year.
But our price projections also
reflect the recent and anticipated weakening of the dollar, which is
expected to put upward pressure on prices of imports and competitive
domestic goods.
With wage demands likely to respond to increased
inflation, and little chance of an offsetting surge in productivity
given the moderate pace of over-all growth, there appears no hope for
an easing soon of the uptrend in unit labor costs.
As a result, we
project the rate of inflation to continue in the 7 per cent range over
the next year, about half a per cent more than last month's forecast.
@FedFRASER