31.   Beijing accused Lee of abandoning the shared goal of reunification with China, and held threatening military exercises near the island to dampen independence sentiment.

32.   Bearish factors such as the unwinding of cross-shareholdings and higher interest rates for housing loans were dampening market sentiment, investors said.

33.   Brokers said market sentiment was also dampened by the government announcement Friday that the territory has sunk deeper into recession.

34.   Broad declines in regional stock markets Thursday also dampened sentiment in Tokyo, coupled with the social unrest resulting from price increases in Indonesia, they said.

35.   Broad declines in regional stock markets Thursday also dampened sentiment in Tokyo, they said.

36.   Brokers said share prices fell in the morning despite sharp gains on Wall Street on Friday because market sentiment was dampened by the weakness of the Japanese currency.

37.   Brokers said investors took profits in the absence of any positive news, and that an overnight decline on Wall Street also dampened market sentiment.

38.   Brokers said the fall on Wall Street dampen market sentiment in Hong Kong.

39.   But futures-led selling dampened sentiment later.

40.   By betting that stock prices will fall, short-sellers can help dampen market sentiment.