European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 the stars and stripes Money matters saturday december 18,1993 today s rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use German Mark 1.66 British Pound. 1.53 ditch Guilder .1.88 greek drachma epee Yeeee 238.5676 note the rate Abov apply within it Hoat country. Figures Ara a a pressed in Dollar to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies italian lira a a i Taiti it a a a a a 1,692.00 turkish lira 14,058.20 Spanish a sets. 140.78 pert Guase escudo 174.70 austrian Schilling 12.0095 saudi Royal 3.75 bahraini Dinar 0.3767 kuwaiti Dinar. A norwegian Krone  7.4155 danish Krone sea eat a Eek by eee Aaeree 6.607 British Pound  1.4882 German Mark  1.7087 Swiss franc 4aae�e�ee�e�a� 1.4595 French franc. 5.8405 dutch Guilder a Falt Aasha hot Naa Kaaa 1.913 belgian franc. 33.88 Canadian Dollar. 1.334 note figures Are expressed in Dow to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quota 1385.00 an ounce. Stower quote $5.00 an ounce new York Exchange new York up a the is most Active stocks in new York Stock Exchange composite trading an thursday. Stock salts last net Che. Merry go round 9,703.200 2 a a Oft 3 it Eastman Kodak 6,111.800 54 a 0111% limited inc 5,327,000 17 h up Tel Fonos of is 3,518,100 61 w up Boeing co 3,190,900 43 v. Up fruit of loom 2.971,600 24 v 0tt3h ism corp a 2.952,boo 57 v a pvt Merck amp co inc 2,853,300 33 Vuk up1/. Glaxo holdings 2,708.400 20 w up % Rwjr Nabisco hid 2,449.400 6t unch Wal Mart stores 2.198.300 27 w up Gulf St utile 1.988,600 19 v unch Amer express co 1,875,900 30 it Oft v. Mobil corp .1,848.100 74 a a Tiv Pacific Telesis 1,826,000 56 h up i american Exchange new York up the 10 most Active stocks in american Stock Exchange composite hading thursday. Slock Sal last net chg. Amdahl corp 1,460,300 6 v unch Energy service 1,330,400 3 up atari corp 504,500 6 v up h by Trony inc 465,600 9 v up Echo Bay mines. 445,100 13 v unch am exploration 370,900 1 7-16 up 3-16  359,300 13 i Oft 1 i first Aust pm 338.900 10 h up 3-16 Weatherford inc 273.900 9 v up w us Blos Clence 271,200 10 Vuk unch Dow Jones new York up a Dow Jones closing Range of averages on thursday High Low Clou chivas 30 industrials 3756.60 3694.29 3726.14 up 9 22 20 transport 1779 47 1737.44 1750.52 Oft 13.94 15 utilities 227.39 223.90 226.07 up 1 65 stocks 1384.32 1358.39 136982 Oil 0.49 Wall Street workers revel others grateful to have Job new York a two classes of employees Are celebrating the holidays this year workers on Wall Street. And those just thankful to be working. As targe investment Banks Shower employees with bonuses and All expense paid bashes Many no financial companies from copy machine giant Xerox corp. To Magazine publisher time inc. Are scrapping traditional Christmas amenities. Rather than Gripe Many workers feel Lucky to be around at All. Quot in some cases if companies have had cutbacks in the labor Force then they can to in All Good conscience have a party Quot said lore Moser a Veteran coordinator of corporate parties in new York. Quot the other employees feel a what a terrible thing you fired my Friend and now you re. Having a $150-a-person Christmas  plenty of non financial companies still regale their workers conversely some Wall Street firms Are More conservative this year. But the extent of Holiday celebrations clearly mirrors the disparities among companies 1993 earnings statements. Pressured by Competition and stagnant sales in a sluggish economic recovery in some cases if companies have had cutbacks in the labor Force then they can t in All Pood conscience have a party. The other employees feet a what a terrible thing you fired my Friend and now you re having a $150-Aperson Christmas party a lore Moser Paziy coordinator employers such As Philip Morris cos. Inc. And Rwjr Nabisco inc. Are shedding thousands of jobs. Wall Street firms meanwhile posted Sharp profit increases reaping the benefits of a three year rally in the Stock and Bond markets. Goldman Sachs amp co. Reportedly is giving a majority of its 8,000 employees year end bonuses of 30 percent of their annual pay a up from 25 percent last year. Away from Wall Street though Many companies have halted parties at fancy clubs catering Halls and restaurants. Xerox which announced Early this month that it was cutting 10,000 jobs is no longer treating its Rochester n.y., Public relations staff to a hot Holiday Buffet. Instead employees Are baking cookies at a co workers Home. Hunkering Down against declining advertising revenues time inc. Tolt the staffs of its time Fortune and other magazines to hold parties at its Midtown Manhattan Headquarters this year instead of nightclubs and restaurants. Many companies have turned traditional Holiday bonuses into tools for restoring profitability replacing automatic Cash rewards with incentive pay linked to financial performance. About 68 percent of companies offer such alternative rewards up from 51 percent in 1991, according to a Survey by Hewitt associates of Lincolnshire 111. Quot i am finding that this year is not a particularly fat year for most companies Bonus systems or incentive plans Quot said management consultant Craig Schneier of Princeton no. Quot even those companies that have done Well Arentt comfortable flaunting their  Disney s Aladdin sets video sales record Burbank Calif. Up Walt Disney co. Said thursday that sates of its Home video version of Aladdin have topped 21 million making it the Best Selling videocassette Ever. The performance topped the record set last year by the video version of Disney a Beauty and the beast the next three Best Sellers Are also from Disney 101 dalmatians 15.9 million fantasia 14.2 million and pinot cd of 13.4 million. Disney previously reported that Aladdin which went on Sale oct. 1 for a suggested Price of $24.99, sold 16 million copies in its first three weeks. Give muscular Dollar a in a amps Gary Miller a shopper eyes the array of merchandise on display in Florence Italy. By sue Palumbo Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy a savvy american Christmas shoppers taking advantage of a Strong Dollar Are combing the local italian Economy for a Good Deal rather than visiting their military Exchange. Already a Bargainer s Paradise italian merchants also Are enjoying the benefits from a stronger Dollar which started its six month climb from about 1,399 lire to the Dollar to As High As 1,699. A there Are just some things i know in a going to get a better Price for on the Economy a said Regina Mitchell. Quot especially italian items because it seems like they Jack the Price up in the Exchange anyway. Mitchell noted that italian menus suits Cost about $200 in the Exchange but half that in town and that a $50 pair of womels leather shoes Cost her $30 on the Economy. An apparent shortage of women a shoes at the local Navy Exchange contributes to the tendency of numerous shoppers to took elsewhere Mitchell said. Quality of merchandise is another Factor that weighs heavily Tor or against braving the crowded narrow streets outside the Gate. Many americans insist that american goods Are always the Best buy even if the Label says made in Taiwan while others say italian leather goods clothing and even furniture Are a notch above their Exchange offered counterparts. One shopper who asked to remain Anonymous lest her husband guess the origin of his Christmas gift said she compared a living room set priced at $1,500 in the Exchange with one of better Quality on the Economy. She found that she could save about $500 on the Economy. But As Only True combat shoppers know the essence of shopping is not what ends up in the bag but the Hunt to find it. The one thing base exchanges can to compete with is the ability to bargain with the Vendor. Veteran shoppers in Naples Are in their glory during the holidays As they Haggle with Street vendors who feign indignation before handing Over the goods. Quot i buy All of my costume Jewery a which i am probably known for a from the vendors at the markets. Its definitely cheaper a said Renee Joseph. A a it a a great time to look around and see what a out  Holiday shoppers follow their own set of rules however. They not Only want their merchandise but they also want their refunds. A i love bargain Hunting outside Quot said Sandra Allen. A but nothing can compete with the thrill of doing those refunds and exchanges the Day after