1. Fearing urban unrest, the government holds grain prices down to levels that make it unattractive to farm. 2. He blamed the European Community being preoccupied with keeping farm gate prices down without applying the same rules to pubs and shops. 3. As shares were being sold this drove their price down, so portfolio insurers sold futures to protect the value of their portfolios. 4. Also, they say, it will speed competition in the local phone markets and drive prices down. 5. Also, a big fund has a difficult time buying stocks without driving the price up, and selling stocks without driving the price down. 6. Amateur investors find their way to obscure securities and mingle online with both stock promoters trying to drive prices up and short-sellers trying to drive prices down. 7. Analysts had said an agreement on an IMF gold sale may have helped keep the price down. 8. And competition, where communist leaders allow it, is pushing costs up and prices down. 9. Analysts said that talk of Europe changing course in the next few weeks also pushed prices down late in the day. 10. And now, Dabkowski noted, farmers find they must hold prices down to compete with Western imports. |