AUSTRALIAN RESERVES FALL IN FEBRUARY
Australia's official reserve assets fell
to the equivalent of 8.50 billion U.S. Dlrs in February, from
9.15 billion in January, compared with 9.06 billion a year
earlier, the Reserve Bank said.
    In Australian dollar terms, reserves fell by 1.24 billion
dlrs to 12.60 billion after falling 1.71 billion to 13.85
billion in January and rising 792 mln to 12.92 billion in
February 1986.
    The bank said that excluding valuation effects, it
estimated reserves fell 853 mln dlrs after falling 2.34 billion
in January and rising 323 mln a year earlier.
    The individual value of reserve assets in Australian
dollars at end-February with end-January and year-earlier
respectively in brackets were.
    Gold 4.71 billion (4.90 billion and 3.83 billion), SDR's
503 mln (524 mln and 468 mln), IMF reserve position 354 mln
(365 mln and 312 mln), U.S. Dollars 3.25 billion (both 3.99
billion), other foreign exchange 3.78 billion (4.07 billion and
4.32 billion).
 REUTER
