FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2001 Public Information Office CB01-62 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-1037 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Brad Stovall/ Kristy George 301-457-2787 Underwriters, Dealers and Brokers Report Securities and Commodity-Contract Revenues of $210 Billion The Commerce Department's Census Bureau reported today that revenues for the nation's securities and commodity underwriters, dealers and brokers increased by 21 percent between 1998 and 1999, from $173 billion to $210 billion. Investment banking and securities dealers generated $116 billion in revenues and securities brokers, $89 billion. The tabulations, released on the Internet, show the majority -- 97 percent, or $204 billion -- of these revenues were generated by employer firms (establishments with paid employees). Among the largest sources of revenues for employer firms in 1999 were commissions from the sale of securities and commodities, $58 billion, and net gains in trading accounts, $43 billion. The estimates are part of the 1999 Service Annual Survey. Other reports from the survey cover health, information services and computer services, as well as trucking and warehousing. Employer data for portfolio management firms and investment advisory firms were included in the tabulations. Excluded from the tabulations are data for securities and commodity exchanges; miscellaneous intermediation; other financial investment activities; and finance subsectors, such as monetary authorities of central banks; credit intermediation and related activities; insurance carriers and related activities; and funds, trusts and other financial vehicles. This is the first year the Service Annual Survey has published data using the North American Industry Classification System and the first year it has included data on financial investments. The data are subject to sampling variability and nonsampling errors. Sources of nonsampling error include errors of response, nonreporting and coverage. Measures of sampling variability, presented as relative standard errors, are shown in the tables.