21.   An analyst with a regional brokerage said the main surprise came in the form of a huge provision the company made for losses on its equities portfolio.

22.   A dealer at a regional brokerage said investors are focusing on financials, in particular HSBC and Hang Seng Bank.

23.   A dealer with a regional brokerage said strong gains in Tokyo provided the impetus for financials to turn sharply higher.

24.   A dealer with a regional brokerage said investors continue to buy Telkom stock on news the government will raise domestic call costs.

25.   Another dealer at a regional brokerage said liquidity appears to be tapering off judging by the declining turnover.

26.   The gains were mostly related to higher US stocks, a dealer with a regional brokerage said.