BANKING & FINANCE - March 9, 1993

U.S. Savings Bonds Slip in February: Sales of U.S. savings bonds in February slipped 20.3% from the month before, but still remained above the $2-billion mark for the fifth time in six months. Sales totaled $2.03 billion last month, down from $2.55 billion in January. Still, that was 70.8% higher than last February, when $1.19 billion were sold, and the best February since 1944. Sales for all of last year, $17.7 billion, broke a 48-year-old record set during World War II. The value of savings bonds held at the end of February reached $160.1 billion, up from $140.8 billion a year ago.