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November 28, 1997

          EFFECTIVE 4:00 PM  EASTERN TIME: 11/28/97    /_________________\
   KEY INDICATOR   CURRENT    CHANGE FROM LAST  YIELD  |6-Mth CD :5.82% *|
  --------------- ---------   ----------------  ------ |11th COFI:4.941% |
  3-month T-Bill: 5.06      - down  2 basis pnt -5.19% |6Mo-LIBOR:5.805% |
  10 Year T-Note: 101 27/32 - down  6/32        -5.87% |1Yr TBill:5.46% *|
  Long Bond.....: 100 31/32 - up    2/32        -6.05% |3Yr TBill:5.73% *|
  Dow Jones.....: 7823.13   - up   28.35               |5Yr TBill:5.79% *|
  FHLMC 60 day..: 7.35%     -      from 7.35% (11/26)  |10YrTBill:5.84% *|
  FNMA 60 day...: 7.32%     - up   from 7.31% (11/26)  |30YrTBond:6.05% *|
                                                       |PRIME    - 8.500%|
      Todays Interest Rate/Loan Fee Pricing Trend:     |DISCOUNT - 5.000%|
                  ***  STABLE  ***                     |FED FUNDS- 5.50  |
                  ================                     |_________________|
                                               * Wkly Average ending 11/21

BOND MARKET COMMENTARY: 11/28/97 |

10:45AM EST: Both Bonds and Stocks are up modestly in early trading following mixed results in Asian markets overnight. Japan's Nikkei index was up 0.2%, Hong Kong's Heng Seng index was down 0.5%, and Korea's index was down 4.9%. The Nikkei was also up the day before. The markets showed little-to-no reaction to this morning's slightly stronger than expected release on Personal Income and Spending.

There are no more major economic reports scheduled for release today. The bond market will again close early today at 2 p.m. est

. In addition to watching developments in voltaile Asain markets, next week includes several potential market moving events. Including, Monday's National Association of Purchasing Managers (NAPM) report, a speech from Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan on Tuesday, and Friday's employment report. (check the calendar for more details).

The Commerce Department reported this morning that Personal Income and Personal Spending both increased by 0.5% in October - the market had forecast gains of 0.5% and 0.3% respectively. Personal incomes have risen for 12 straight months.

Bonds ended mixed Wednesday in a quiet, shorter-than-usual trading session, reacting little to a morning barrage of economic data. At Wednesday afternoon's close, the benchmark 30-year Treasury bond was up 6/32, lowering its yield to 6.041% from 6.054% late Tuesday.

Dealings halted at 2 p.m. EST ahead of Thanksgiving, and the market was shut Thursday in observance of that holiday.

Economic data Wednesday were mixed.

Although they had been expected to rise modestly, Durable Goods Orders fell 0.3% in October. In a separate release, the Commerce Department revised its estimate of third-quarter real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth downward to 3.3% from an earlier estimate of 3.5%.

Meantime, the latest weekly Labor Department report on claims for state unemployment benefits suggested labor-market strength. The 31,000 drop in the week ended Nov. 22 was much larger than an expected 13,000 decrease.

But investors and traders appeared to pay little attention to the data -- largely because many expect economic problems in Asia to help damp U.S. growth, possibly fueling a further climb in U.S. Treasury bonds.

That thinking was evident Wednesday, as the margin between two-year and 30-year yields narrowed to less than 1/3 percentage point, compared with nearly 3/4 percentage point in late June. The contraction reflects ample demand for 30-year bonds amid optimism about inflation prospects.

Despite concern about events in Asia, fears that Japanese would sell U.S. Treasurys appeared to subside, traders said. A strong dollar and lower Japanese interest rates make U.S. Treasurys attractive to the Japanese....

      DATE         ECONOMIC REPORT             FORECAST    ACTUAL  
      ----    -----------------------------    --------    ------  
Mon  11/17    Industrial Production (Oct)      +0.7%       +0.5%
     11/17    Capacity Utilization (Oct)       84.7%       84.3%
Tue  11/18    Consumer Price Index (CPI)(Oct)  +0.2%       +0.2%
     11/18    CPI Core Rate (Oct)              +0.2%       +0.2%
     11/18    Business Inventories (Sept)      +0.5%       +0.7%
     11/18    Mitsubishi and Johnson Redbook - weekly retail sales 
Wed  11/19    New Housing Starts (Oct)         1.47 Mln   1.53Mln(+1.4%)
Thur 11/20    Trade Balance (Sept)             -$10.0 Bln  -$11.1
     11/20    Philadelphia Fed Index (Nov)     17.0        10.1
     11/20    Initial Jobless Claims (11/15)   310,000     333,000
     11/20    Greenspan Speaks                 - - - - -   - - - - -

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