11.   Analyst John Lawson noted the car maker benefits when the British pound is high against the French franc because Renault gets more francs for pounds earned.

12.   As the French franc weakened, there was speculation during Asian trading hours that the Bank of France sold marks for francs, some traders said.

13.   Bank of Boston, Citizens Bank and BayBank all now accept yen, French francs and other currencies at hundreds of branches.

14.   A stronger dollar versus the French franc benefits the company when it translates its dollar profits into francs.

15.   Against the mark, the dollar was little changed, as the German currency surged to a three-month high versus the French franc.

16.   Alongside the stable French franc, monetary policy is also intended to underpin business and consumer confidence, Trichet said.

17.   All figures are in French francs.

18.   But as the dollar rises, a given number of German marks or French francs will be worth a smaller number of dollars.

19.   But as an economic entity, the euro is now more real than the German marks or French francs that people keep in their wallets.

20.   CarnaudMetalbox today said its first-half profits growth was held back by a rise in the French franc, overcapacity and high prices for raw materials.