Japan foreign reserves fall for third month after intervention

TOKYO, Nov 09 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign reserves extended declines in October, following the previous month's record drop, the Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday, reflecting the largest ever amount of yen-buying, dollar-selling intervention.

The data comes alongside separate figures that confirmed Japan did not conduct stealth intervention in September and only entered the market to buy yen for U.S. dollars on Sept. 22 as announced, its first foray into the market to prop up the Japanese currency since 1998.

Market players are scrutinising Japan's vast pool of foreign assets and intervention records for clues on how much more Japan might be willing to spend in its forays into the currency market, though authorities remain tight-lipped on intervention.

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