The dollar held firm against the yen in New York trading on the 24th, closing at 163.84/86 yen. Ahead of next week's central bank meetings in Japan and the US, the dollar/yen pair edged 0.02% lower to 163.81 yen, after briefly touching 163.98 yen the previous day, a level not seen in about 40 years of dollar strength and yen weakness. The US 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.6811%, weighed by a drop in crude oil prices. The stock market was mixed, with the Dow rebounding but the Nasdaq extending its decline. Gold futures edged higher, while US crude oil futures tumbled more than 4% on hopes for Middle East peace talks.