41.   The speculation was fueled Wednesday by activity in the cash market by Tradigrain Inc., the firm that sold large amounts of U.S. wheat to China in late December.

42.   They are often used by investment banks to hedge against losses in the cash markets.

43.   Through buying and selling shares in the cash market, the traders try to make the futures contract move in line with their positions.

44.   Trading in the futures market often affects the Treasury cash market.

45.   Traders often try to influence the cash market by buying or selling heavily weighted stocks to minimize their losses or maximize profits according to their futures positions.

46.   Wednesday, without the benefit of key economic data to give it direction, the cash market took its cue from the technical side of trading.

47.   Western Natural Gas futures prices pushed lower in good volume on mild weather conditions and weaker cash markets.

48.   Western Natural Gas futures rose following demand in the cash market, said Jim Duffy, Kansas City branch manager for Gerald Energy.

49.   Whether the gains last will depend on prices in the cash market for cattle, he said.

50.   Players also sold to take advantage of price gaps between the Tokyo cash market and lower Nikkei-index futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange overnight, they said.