71.   Also Thursday, unconfirmed rumors of central bank buying of German marks spurred traders to buy marks, weakening the dollar.

72.   Any rush to buy marks would cause the dollar to suffer.

73.   Dealers said investors bought marks amid speculation that Germany will fail to fulfil the criteria for joining a single European currency.

74.   Investors bought marks in Europe after Italy scheduled new elections in April, three years ahead of schedule, following the dissolution Friday of a deadlocked parliament.

75.   Late last month, the resignation of the French finance minister led traders to sell francs and buy marks.

76.   On the foreign exchange market, the dollar moved higher through cross trading, in which investors bought German marks against yen.

77.   Selling of yen to buy German marks helped buoy the U.S. currency, traders said.

78.   Some economists have questioned the wisdom of buying marks as a safe-haven vehicle, saying the dollar is a safer bet.

79.   Such rumors sent traders scrambling to buy marks and sell francs, which indirectly weighed down the dollar.

80.   Strong demand to buy marks for yen has emerged in the wake of the decision Thursday by the Bundesbank to leave interest rates unchanged.