21.   Selling French francs or Italian lire for marks often drives the dollar down against the mark, as speculators explore all opportunities to buy marks.

22.   Short-maturity debt, however, remains in demand as foreign exchange investors buy marks and park the funds in the notes of less than five years maturity.

23.   Some traders yesterday girded themselves for an increase and bought marks after the German financial daily Handelsblatt said a majority of Bundesbank policy-makers were prepared to raise rates today.

24.   That development has pushed the mark up against the dollar as well, with speculators looking for all opportunities to buy the mark.

25.   That worry led investors to buy marks for francs, and the buying worked against the dollar as well.

26.   That prompted some traders to buy marks.

27.   That worry led market participants to buy marks for francs, and the buying spilled over against the dollar as well.

28.   The Bank of Italy bought marks for lire Friday in a bid to prevent the Italian currency from strengthening.

29.   The dollar often suffers when the mark rises against other European currencies because investors seek all opportunities to buy marks.

30.   The dollar slipped, in part because traders bought German marks on diminishing fears that the single currency would be weak.