1.   Currently, banks must report the lower of the value of stockholdings based on their purchase price or market price at the time of book closing.

2.   The mid-year book closing for Japanese institutional investors is at the end of the month.

3.   Many domestic dealers also avoided making major moves on Tuesday, the last day of trading for May book closing.

4.   The dollar was supported by buying interest among Japanese banks and other companies before their fiscal year book closing, traders said.

5.   Traders said a lack of buying on the last day before the September book closing was depressing prices amid an overall lack of news.

6.   Brokers also said market players refrained from active trading ahead of the September-half book closing.

7.   But later it eased on selling by Japanese exporters ahead of their end-month book closing, with no signs of the central bank intervention, they said.

8.   Selling by foreign investors ahead of their year-end book closing will continue to weigh on the market in the next few weeks, brokers said.