Reasons for the slack demand include perceived high gold prices and a poor monsoon season depressing consumer demand.

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The Bush administration had cited the perceived nuclear threat from Iran as one of the key reasons it wanted to install the missile shield in eastern Europe.

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The reasons for the boom, then, are tangled, and the way they are perceived may change.

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The other main reasons people bought Buicks last year were where it was made (US), warranty and perceived reliability, he added.

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