Taro Aso's comments stoke talk of yen intervention

Tokyo

SPECULATION about official intervention to stem the yen's dramatic rise intensified on Friday, with Minister of Finance Taro Aso saying that the G-20 finance ministers would "study policy cooperation" at their meeting in Shanghai this month.

His statement came amid continued turbulence in Asian and other financial markets, and as the yen traded at between 111 and 112 to the US dollar in volatile Tokyo trading; the currency had hit a 15-month low of 110.99 yen in London on Thursday, when Tokyo markets were closed.