European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 9, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 9, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 19 business news . Housing in millions of Homes 1983 resales single family starts multifamily starts .66411.80 13.3 87 .696 3.4 1.85 Chicago Tribune graphic source National association of realtors projection Thi Okol still Selling boosters to Nasa new cons Ruff on has healthy gain in january Washington a construction spending Rose a moderate 0.9 percent in january As a healthy gain in residential construction offset declines in other areas the government has reported. The Commerce department said new construction was $357.3 billion at an an Nual rate in january up slightly from the december rate of $354 billion. In december construction activity had risen a Sharp 2.6 percent after falling 0.3 percent in november and remaining unchanged in october. The report said the strength in january came from the residential area which Rose by 1 percent to an annual rate of $152.8 billion. The increase included a 3 percent jump in construction of single family Homes and a 2 percent Rise in multifamily construction. Non residential activity fell by 1 percent to an annual rate of $93.8 billion. The weakness in this area was in factory construction which fell 10 percent. Building activity at shopping centers and other com Mercial facilities Rose by 2 percent while construction of office buildings Rose by 0.6 percent. Spending on Public construction projects Rose 3 percent to an annual rate of $66.7 billion with the biggest increase coming from a Sharp 23 percent Rise in spending on water Supply facilities. The total level of construction spending was 4.8 percent above the level of a year ago. Brigham City Utah a de spite Morton Thi Okol inc s role in the controversy surrounding the loss of the Chal Lenger Industry analysts say the company faces no immediate Competition in the production of space shuttle rocket boosters and will remain a prime Nasa contractor into the next decade. There is no one else that could be up and running with the space shuttle motors said Mary Schonbrod an analyst for Duff & Phelps in Chicago. Schoenbrod and other analysts say it would take another company at least five years and More than $100 million to develop the expertise and facilities to compete with the Utah manufacturer the sole maker of the giant Booster rockets since the shuttle program began in the 1970s. Thi Okol is now completing a contract for 74 rockets at an estimated Cost of $15 Mil lion to $30 million each. Analysts believe Thi Okol and the nation Al aeronautics and space administration were near final agreement on a new con tract for an additional 60 sets of the twin boosters. The contract also provided a clause for an additional 30 sets if Nasa decided to exercise that option. The loss of the challenger and its seven astronauts Jan. 28 has put the agreement on hold with the rest of the shuttle pro Gram. There is Little doubt within the Industry that when shuttle flights resume they will be powered by Thi Okol boosters. Nasa needs Morton and Morton needs Nasa said James Cunningham an analyst for first Boston corp. In new York. Once this All Dies Down they will sort of return to business As usual investigators have focused on the possibility that a failure of seals in the shuttle s right rocket Booster caused the shuttle disaster. There Are indications exhaust Gas May have escaped from the seals causing the explosion. Speculation has been raised that Thi Okol managers eager to land the new contract May have Given a go ahead for the launch of the challenger Over warnings from their engineers that cold weather could affect the performance of the seals. Lawrence Mulloy Nasa s manager of the Booster rockets said there was no com petition for the contract. Testifying wednesday before the presidential commission investigating the shuttle Accident Mulloy denied that Thi Okol Man agers May have reversed their initial opposition to the launch because they Felt pressure from Nasa due to the new contract. Mulloy said he could t conceive that there was a pressure since Thi Okol would certainly have gotten the renewal. Even though Nasa announced in de Cember it was opening the bidding on the boosters to other companies Industry experts including Thi Okol officials say no company has the capability of producing the boosters for several years. There Are people building solid rocket motors but no one else has the capability of building them this size said Thomas Russell Thi Okol s vice president for corporate development strategic planning. Ironically Thi Okol is also considered a Leader in the use of seals such As the suspected of rings on the shuttle boosters. The company is working on new designs to pre vent erosion and failure of the rings. Thi Okol s closest competitor is Hercules aerospace co. In Magna Utah South of Salt Lake City. They produce smaller solid fuel rocket motors for the Pershing my and Trident missile systems. Hercules works jointly with Thi Okol on the Trident contract. . Mettenet president of the Hercules aerospace products group said his company has spent $130 million to expand facilities where production of larger Trident ii rocket motors will begin this summer. We re building a modern rocket motor facility said Mettenet. It s Only obvious that we would be interested in  by William a. Doyle q. At my Bank i was told that i can have a 10-year certificate of Deposit in my individual retirement account and Start withdrawing Money from it at any time without penalty because i am Over age 59 /2. Is this Correct i would like to have a 10-year cd because of the higher interest. A. It s Correct provided that s your Bank s policy on Ira cd. Some Banks and savings and loan associations do not have that policy. In a situation such As yours it s Wise to Check beforehand. Despite the gradual deregulation of the banking Industry Federal rules still require the payment of an Early withdrawal penalty when most cd Are redeemed before their maturity dates or when any principal not interest is taken out of the cd before maturity. But there s an exception to those rules for Ira cd. Banks and a is Are permitted to waive Early withdrawal penalties on cd for Ira participants who Are 59v or older. Please note that the waiver is at the option of the depository institution. Some hard nosed Banks and a is won t Grant the waiver and insist on charging Early withdrawal penalties on Ira cd no matter what the age of the Ira participant. To be absolutely certain you won t be hit with a penalty have that provision written into your Ira agreement with the Bank. Q. I put a Lump sum distribution from a pension plan into an Ira cd in 1980. I Haven t touched the account and because of the interest credited to it it now totals $134,000. However Only $100,000 is Cov ered by Federal Deposit insurance. I was talking to the Bank president and he mentioned that the insurance might be increased to $250,000. When do you expect that will happen a. Don t hold your breath. The most kindly thing that can be said about the Bank president s remark is that he s a Wishful thinker. The last time Federal Deposit insurance corp. Coverage at Banks and Federal Sav Ings and loan insurance corp. Coverage at a is was increased from $40,000 to $100,000 for each depositor was Back on March 31, 1980. Given the Drain on Odic and folic reserves from Bank and so failures it has to be counted Asun Likely Federal Deposit insurance will be hiked in the near future. Of course your Ira is insured separately from your other deposits. You can have up to $100,000 in other accounts and $100,000 in an Ira at the same Bank or so All covered by Federal Deposit insurance. But $34,000 of your Ira is not insured. There have been Bills in Congress to increase Federal insurance on Bank and so iras to $250,000. None has been enacted into Law. Q. I am a widow living alone and have lost the sight in one Eye. I find it difficult to write checks and even this letter. Otherwise i function Well. I read without too much trouble. My Bank has no Means of helping people such As myself but neighbors sometimes Aid me in filling out checks. Who can i get to sign my checks and other things that need my signature a. Investigate a pay by phone arrangement which almost All Banks and a is have. If yours does to move your account to one that docs. Once you have that Type of account you can Telephone in Many Bill payments and even have regular Bills paid automatically. For checks and other things that require a signature you might consider granting a Power of attorney to someone you positively Trust. One of those Good neighbors would seem to be an appropriate Choice. The per son with your Power of attorney can write checks for you. Frankly i m amazed by your statement that your Bank has no Means of helping you. Have you gone to the Bank and talked your problem Over with an officer you re certain to find the proverbial Friendly banker there or at some other institution who will come to your Aid. King features columnist Doyle welcomes written questions but he can provide answers Only through the column. You can write to him in care of the stars and stripes Apo 09211, . Forces top United press International copyright 1986 Friday. March 7 nose con polite Stock div Eside 2 Mckerl ism Humana Chumny Kaiser i Mobil Hosp am Merrlyn a Sorn a 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 l 1 most actives by volume vol close earns be ,194,200 58 s 1.46 40.0 ,152,800 18 ,140,700 ,117,300 ,099,700 ,865,400 ,801,500 ,759,400 ,717,000 ,702,400 146 30% 49 /2 17 /2 26% 39 /4 42 12 nose composite largest net Stock astr pf4.38 Tsiores Wrigley Pac log cd s Colt trans co Ray chm Merck Alt mgr close 68% 58 /4 109 57 /2 137 /2 74 a 541/4 115v4 150% 130% 10.67 2.21 7.33 2.55 3.14 2.26 0.95 14.0 14.0 7.0 10.0 12.0 19.0 13.0 old 3.8 10.0 3.0 2.5 5.3 3.4 8.3 1.7 1.9 changes Cage earns 7 /4 7 /4 6 a 3% -1 3% 3 /2 3 /4 3v 3 /4 3 /4 4.11 6,18 3.80 0.81 6.91 0.91 3.68 7.58 4.90 be 14.0 18.0 15.0 170.0 11.0 60.0 31.0 20.0 27.0 old 6.4 1.4 1.7 6.1 2.2 3.4 4.1 0.4 2.4 0.3 a w amex composite Stock div key pharm 1 Champ he 1 Bat 1 Wickes Chroma Dillard Robert him dome Petro i Strum sys wangle most actives vol close 474,300 15% 113,200 3 /4 063,700 5 a 729,300 5% 624,200 187/b 565,900 3838 495,500 4 345,600 i a 288,900 l7/a 269,700 197/a r my my my a by volume earns be $0.05 0.66 0.78 1.34 2.29 0.07 0.20 64.0 8.0 7.0 14.0 17.0 57.0 9.0 amex composite largest net changes Stock close Cage earns be Martin pros 51% 5 $ 0.77 67.0 Kapost 152 4 7.73 20.0 Teion Rich Sandy corp Alamito Washom Kenwin Sells Assoc combed so anytime 516 4 10 3 /4 126 /2 3 25 /4 2 a 197/b 27/a hmm 2% 37 2 /4 647/b 2va 0.08 1.19 10.78 1.38 2.03 0.58 3.97 2.90 6605 8.0 12.0 18.0 10.0 20.0 9.0 22.0 a i Hyld 2.9 1.1 0.3 0.8 old 0.7 4.0 0.9 be Price to earnings ratio old dividend yield Dei deficit St yield in Stock earnings latest 12 months unaudited