1.   However, some home builders have been able to buck the downtrend.

2.   Some other stocks bucked the downtrend.

3.   Some stocks involved in possible mergers bucked the downtrend.

4.   But one stock group that managed to buck the downtrend was the precious metals sector.

5.   The peso, meanwhile, strengthened moderately, bucking the downtrend in most Asian currencies, dealers said.