11.   That prompted traders to push up the dollar in the belief that Japanese authorities will not move to support the yen.

12.   The meetings fueled talk both nations would support the yen by selling dollars.

13.   Then the finance minister, Hiroshi Mitsuzuka, suggested that the Bank of Japan might intervene to support the yen by selling dollars.

14.   Overseas, the U.S. currency fell back from earlier highs on worries Japanese officials might intervene to support the yen if the dollar rose too high.

15.   Also supporting the yen Thursday were expectations that the Japanese government will spend a significant amount of money to buoy the economy.

16.   Also supporting the yen was recent firmness on the Tokyo stock market, they said.

17.   Also supporting the yen was growing speculation that Japan and the United States may again intervene to prop up the Japanese currency, traders said.

18.   Also supporting the yen has been the recent lack of Bank of Japan dollar-buying market intervention.

19.   But comments later from Japanese finance ministry officials trying to support the yen temporarily kept the dollar from rising further.

20.   But lingering speculation that Japan would intervene in currency markets to support the yen if it falls further weighed on the dollar, traders said.