BANK OF JAPAN INTERVENES TO STEM DOLLAR FALL

  The Bank of Japan intervened in the
  market to keep the dollar above 149 yen but the unit was under
  strong selling pressure by an investment trust, dealers said.
      The central bank stepped into the market when the dollar
  fell towards 149.00 yen, but a trust bank aggressively sold
  dollars to hedge currency risks, and the Bank intervened again
  at 149.00, they said.
      The trust bank apparently changed its earlier view that the
  dollar would rise and started selling relatively large amounts
  of dollars, pushing the unit down to 148.80 at one point,
  brokers said.
      One dealer estimated that the Bank bought 400 mln to 500
  mln dlrs as it tried to keep the U.S. Currency above 149 yen.
  

