11.   But analysts are uncertain whether the increase will be more than a temporary boost to consumer demand amid the steep falloff this year in projected worldwide growth.

12.   Most of the day was dominated by technical trade amid concerns of slackened demand amid global economic weakness, analysts said.

13.   Soybeans followed the surge as traders anticipated an increase in feed demand amid a Midwest cold snap.

14.   The run-up in heating oil prices was exacerbated by increasing demand amid tight supplies for heating oil in advance of what is forecast to be a cold winter.

15.   Traders were also worried about weak demand amid new signs of a troubled world economy.

16.   Traders expected the peso to remain weak in the coming days due to steady dollar demand amid two abbreviated trading weeks.

17.   Weak domestic demand amid an uncertain economic outlook accounted for the large surplus in November, said Toshio Kobayashi, a ministry official who briefed reporters on the data.

18.   The slowdown was blamed on a downturn in electronics demand amid excess inventories and plunging memory-chip prices.