European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday. May 4, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 17 Money matters i today s tip sales of new Homes edged up 1 percent in March the second Advance in a Row the government has reported. But the increase was due solely to purchases in the West As sales dropped elsewhere. A the departments of Commerce and housing and Urban development reported that sales totalled a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 490,000, up from 485,000 the previous month. Analysts say Quot the housing Industry must pick up before the United states can climb out of recession. Conversion rates London up fridays closing rates for the . Dollar to other currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies in dollars Gold was quoted at $354.25 an ounce Silver at $3 96. A a a. A a a a a a May 2 a. May 3 British Pound. 1.7165 1.69.30 German mark1.7225 .1.7480 French franc .-5.8500 a a a a 5.8085 dutch Guilder 1.9335 1.9305 belgian franc -.-.35.540 35.255 italian lira. 1,280 00 1,271.10 Swiss franc. 1.4600 a a 1.4715 greek drachma. 186.50 186.00 turkish lira. 3,903 00 3,899 70 saudi arabian Nyal. .3.75. 3.75 Spanish peseta .-.106.00 105.88 portuguese escudo .147,10 146.69 Canadian Dollar. 1.1506 1.1499. Austrian Schilling. .12.065 a 12.055 norwegian Krone .6.6870 6.6765 danish Krone. .6.5570. 6.5515 these Are unofficial rates As reported by wire service and banking sources and they Are listed to give some idea of daily currency fluctuations. The Only official rate concerns the Sale of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use and this will be 1.67 through monday based on fridays noontime Price fixing. New York Exchange new York up a the 15 most Active stocks in new York Stock Exchange composite trading on thursday. Stock sales last net chg. Ltd corp a 2,586,500 1%up % Texaco inc2,222.000 69%. Up % Compaq computer 1,963.100 49%. Up % Natl hath lab 1,907,400 18 unch Pepsico inc 1,720.100. 32% off % Hewlett Packard 1,566.500 47% off 1% Philip Morns 1.531.200 68% off % ism corp 1,522,400 105% up 1% grand met 1,419,500 -28% up % pet inc 1,357,300 .16% up % genl electric 1,343.900 72% a unch Boeing co 1,274,800 45% up Wal Mart stores 1,218,600 41% up Amer express 1,196,000 26% up Citicorp 1,166,700 16 up % american Exchange new York up a the 10 most Active stocks in american Stock Exchange composite trading thursday. Stock sales last net chg. Us Bio science 752,400 29% up pall corp a 446,600 30%. A unch Trail of loom 417,200 15 up % Alza corp 383,200 60% up1% Forest labs inc. 355,100 36 unch Dow. Chemical it 338,000 6% up Americus do so 289,400 8% off % Western digital 280,400 5. Of % Wang labs inc b 252,100. 3% a unch Edisto resources 235,700 7 up % Dow Jones new York up a Dow Jones closing Range of averages thursday.30 Indus nals 20 transports 15 utilities. 65 stocks High 2966.34 1182.48 213.28 1062.09 Low 2917.33 1158.15 210.76 1044.01 close 293861 1168 37 211.90 1051.80 change up 8.41 up 4.23 Oft 0.19 up 2.65 return of troops to . Revitalizing Southeast by Randy Mcclain. Financial writer although much of the United states remains in the grip of recession there a. Growing evidence that the. Return of troops from the Middle East is having a big Impact in at least the Southeast Region of the country where Many military installations Are located. A i can say since january there has been a real turnaround in optimism about the future a said Robert Graboyes associate economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond va., who has studied the development. The Richmond Bank one of 12 District Federal Reserve Banks reported that the return of thousands of troops to military bases in North Carolina South Carolina Virginia and other Southeastern states is helping fuel economic recovery in the area. The Sale of Homes cars and other big ticket items Hasni to returned to pre War Levels in Many of the military communities Quot a a -. A a  a a a a. But retailers Bankers and others Are seeing encouraging signs. A positive effects on rental property and retailing were Felt immediately in some areas a said Graboyes. He helped compile the economic status report on the Southeast for the Richmond Bank. He said Bright spots started to appear the Day after a cease fire with Iraq was announced. He said. A a one respondent said the malls went from fairly empty to bustling within 24 hours of the  the Richmond Bank a status report firm unveils Home pc costing $200 by Bart Ziegler it a business writer new York a an electronics company has unveiled a $200 computer aimed at what it says arc the millions of households that have resisted buying a Home computer because of the Price. The machine called the in unlimited uses an Ordinary television set As the computer screen accounting in part for its Low Cost. Though aimed at children the computer contains built in software such As a spreadsheet and database better suited for older users. Among its 10 other la tilt in programs Are games a word Procks ing program with a spelling checker. Calculator and a drawing program. The computers maker video technology industries inc. Of Wheeling 111., is a subsidiary of a Hong Kong company. The computer which wont be in stores until August is made in Hong Kong and China. Video technology says the machine is designed for families that cannot afford to buy the typical Home computer which starts at about $750. A the in unlimited computer runs on four a size batteries or a Wall socket adaptor. And those compiled by the other Federal Reserve districts arc based on interviews with business and financial leaders in each Region. Although the reports Are filled primarily with anecdotal evidence about the one respondent said the malls went from fairly empty to bustling within 24 hours of the cease fire a Robert Graboyes economist Economy a As opposed to hard facts and figures a they Are considered a Broad measurement of where each Region stands. Graboyes said the return of military forces is 3 Quot a crucial factors that will help the Southeastern states Bounce Back. Communities particularly hard hit by the deployment of tens of thousands of troops to the Middle East last fall according to the study included a Fayetteville n.c., which counts the army a fort Bragg As one of its major industries. A Jacksonville n.c., which is Home to a Marine corps air station. A much of Eastern Virginia which benefits from a heavy concentration of naval forces. / a a a a a a a a a a. A Graboyes said where the jobs Are for new College grads a recent study by Michigan state University found the Best Job opportunities in health a a in some areas business for certain retailers and Auto sales dropped drastically with the deployment. A not Only did we have military personnel leaving but in a lot of cases the families left behind Cut Back on spending because of uncertainty about the fun it a a. A. A a a. 1 a i Ture. A it Quot a a. A and in some eases families with no ties to the area left entirely a he said. A some businesses were really  in the last month or so though Graboyes said retailers Are singing a happier tune. Military families have started spending again. A a he said a a. A a. A a a a. A spent up spending Power has gone a Long Way toward making up for those lean months.�?�. A Graboyes said there is also evidence that rental property near Many military installations is also in greater demand. A reports from areas around bases Are very optimistic. A the economist said a a we be had some reports of apart mints fully occupied compared with 30 percent vacancy rates in Early  one City in the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank a Region that Wasny to hit so hard during the Middle East War was Washington d.c., Graboyes said. A a in some cases business activity actually picked up there because it was a Center of activity for the conduct of the  defense related consulting firms had lots of work for example Graboyes said. Care engineering computers and business management for 1991. Among the worst Fields Are psychology and acting. For the full Story see below. More jobs than grads business and management engineering health professions computer and information sciences physical sciences. More grads than jobs. Social sciences communications psychology life sciences. Visual and performing arts. Liberal studies a interdisciplinary studies agriculture and natural resources Home economics Public affairs philosophy religion and theology foreign languages Parks and recreation ethnic studies jobs equal to grads education mathematics 0 protective services architecture and environmental design starting salaries for 91 grads accounting $26,100 communications $25,123 a. Construction $26,750 education $22,673 electronics $29,562 engineering computers $29,306 finance $24,730. Government $24,226. Health care $24,261 hotels restaurants $20,786 merchandising retail $20,295 source Michigan state University a amps Wes Booher