11.   In its first such action, the European Central Bank said Friday it bought euros for Japanese yen on behalf of the Bank of Japan.

12.   In currencies, the dollar drifted higher against the yen, in part because traders were selling their yen to buy euros.

13.   In currency dealings, the dollar edged higher early Friday after Japanese and U.S. Institutional investors bought the euro against the yen.

14.   In general, Asian institutions were buying euros and European ones were selling them, dealers said.

15.   Other traders felt that they needed to buy euros to cover short positions in the currency, and the euro began to creep upward.

16.   The ECB did not say how many euros it had bought.

17.   The euro slipped against the dollar and most foreign currencies Monday, despite another effort by the European Central Bank to boost its price by buying euros.

18.   The same players bought the euro for yen as well.

19.   Traders began buying the euro last week in anticipation of improved numbers.

20.   Exchange office worker Eva Acs confirmed that truck drivers were very reluctant to buy euros.