§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the percentage rise or fall in share prices for each of the main OECD countries (a) between July and December 1973 and (b) between January and June 1974.
§ Dr. GilbertThe following percentage changes are based on share price indices shown in the July issue ofInternational Financial Statistics, a monthly publication of the International Monetary Fund. Indices for June are not yet available.
SHARE PRICE INDICES† Percentage changes July 1973 to December 1973 January 1974 to May 1974 except where stated Australia ("ordinaries") -22.7 +4.5* Belgium -10.4 -11.3 Canada -4.8 -11.0* France -9.0 -11.7 ‡ Germany -13.8 -4.1 Italy ("shares") -18.0 +9.3§ Japan ("shares") -19.7 +7.5 Netherlands -23.7 +3.8 Sweden ("shares") -7.4 +3.61 United Kingdom -21.5 -10.9 United States -10.5 -4.9 * based on later information supplied by telex by the IMF. † "Industrials" except where stated. ‡ January 1974 to March 1974. § January 1974 to April 1974. More up-to-date information is available on share price indices in various countries in the financial and economic Press. Comparability between countries is affected by the range and number of shares covered by each index, the weighting methods used, the relative importance of different industries in each country and the degree to which the stock market is used as a source of finance.