1.   Analysts said the strength of the five-year maturity buoyed the prices of other maturities.

2.   A midday spurt of buying by bargain hunters buoyed stock prices, but sellers swamped the buyers at the end of the day.

3.   A series of production problems buoyed prices.

4.   A strong dollar in the currency markets also buoyed Treasury prices.

5.   BP and other supporters of the bill have wanted the ban lifted to buoy oil prices and spur exploration for new oil supplies in Alaska.

6.   But the OPEC ministers, powerful men who are used to having their way, seem at a loss as to what to do to buoy prices.

7.   Cold, wet weather generally buoys cattle prices because the animals tend to lose weight as they use additional energy trying to stay warm, analysts said.

8.   Commercial buying helped buoy prices.

9.   Concern that supply disruptions may arise from mounting civil unrest in Nigeria or from rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran and Iraq also buoyed prices.

10.   Concern that escalating political tensions in West Africa could spill over to the Ivory Coast and Ghana, disrupting harvests and transportation, also buoyed prices, analysts said.