1.   A dealer said investors were upbeat because of expecations the opposition Democrat Party leader, Chuan Leekpai, will become the next prime minister.

2.   In dollar-mark trading, dealers said investors may sell the dollar to buy the mark after Germany releases May money supply data.

3.   Dealers said investors remained neutral towards the US interest rate cut overnight because of lingering concerns about the US economy.

4.   Despite the firmer closing, dealers said investors were cautious after the government announced it was reviewing the state-managed pension scheme, the Central Provident Fund.

5.   Dealers said investors were cautious as they feared political upheavals during the three-day weekend starting Saturday.

6.   Dealers said investors would reamin basically bullish on the dollar for the time being, with expecations of a US interest rate rise still supporting the downside.

7.   Dealers said investors were encouraged that the IPO market, which had dwindled to a near standstill in recent quarters, is coming back to life.

8.   One dealer said investors also sold the yen after Bank of Japan governor Yasuo Matsushita confirmed in a speech that his bank would continue easy money policy.