Cross Timbers Business Report, Volume 2, Number 1, Fall 1987 Page: 1
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Cross imbers Business Leport
Volume 2, No. 1
Fall, 1987
Figures paint gloomy picture for area
Gross sales totals lower
Gross sales figures for the first quarter of
1987 recently released by the State
Comptroller's office revealed a universally
gloomy picture as all five area counties experi-
enced lower totals than the previous year. Three
of these five counties showed positive growth
over the same period in 1985.
In Erath County gains in construction,
manufacturing and services failed to offset
losses in transportation and public services,
wholesale, and retail trade as gross sales de-
clined by 5.7 percent between the first quarter of
1986 and the same period of this year. The
January-March figure of $53.7 million was 1.6
percent higher than the total for the same span
of 1985.
Interest rates rise
Interest rates advanced in the third
quarter then accelerated during the first three
weeks of October. This advance followed a
period of little improvement during the first six
months of this year. Both short and long term
rates were higher in the July-October period
than during the same time span in 1986.
The three-month Treasury bill rate
climbed from 5.7 percent in July to 6.7 percent
in early October. The yield on this instrument
averaged 5.5 percent during the same period
last year.
The interest rate on Aaa corporate bonds
surged from 9.4 percent in July to 10.5 percent
in October. During the same four months of last
year, the yield on these bonds averaged 8.9
percent.
The prime lending rate moved from an
average level of 8.25 percent in July and August
to 9.1 percent in early October. The average
interest level, which is charged by banks on
loans to the lowest risk corporate customers,
was 7.8 percent in the July-October period of
1986.In other parts of the Cross Timbers area
Bosque County experienced a decline of 9.6
percent between 1986 and 1987 as this year's
first quarter sales totaled $29.5 million. This
figure was 3.0 percent higher than the tally for
the same three months of 1985. Comanche
County's first quarter figure of $28.8 million was
4.4 percent below the total for the same months
of 1986 and 1.8 percent less than the tally for
1985.
In Eastland County January-March
gross sales plunged 18.0 percent from the pre-
vious year to $51.6 million. This year's figure
was 0.8 percent below the total for the same
period in 1985. Hamilton County's gross sales
for the first quarter of 1987 were $17.7 million.
This figure was 4.1 percent below the total for
the same months of last year, but was 44.1
percent higher than the same span of 1985.
Retail sales lackluster
Cross Timbers retail merchants also
reported lackluster first quarter activity as sales
in three area counties were below year earlier
totals.
Erath County's retail sales tally of $35.8
million was 8.8 percent below the figure for the
year earlier and 4.7 percent less than the same
three months of 1985. Bosque County reported
a sales level of $9.7 million, a figure which was
9.5 percent less than the year before and 5.1
percent short of the 1985 level.
Comanche County showed a gain of 2.7
percent as its first quarter sales totaled $12.8
milion. This compares to a figure of $14.3
million for the same period two years earlier.
Eastland County's January-March sales pace of
$20.3 million was 9.3 percent below the level of
the year before and 17.4 percent short of the
1985 tally.
Hamilton County experienced a 12.1
percent growth over 1986 as this year's first
quarter sales figure stood at $8.8 million. This
figure was 23.1 percent higher than the value
recorded for the same period two years earlier.
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Tarleton State University. Department of Social Sciences. Cross Timbers Business Report, Volume 2, Number 1, Fall 1987, periodical, Autumn 1987; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth298177/m1/1/?q=%22Texas%20--%20Economic%20conditions%20--%20Periodicals.%22: accessed May 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.