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ISEQ ends week up after heavy trade in bank shares

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

THE prime focus at the end of the trading week yesterday continued to be the two main banks, as the National Asset Management Agency prepares to receive the first tranche of loans from financial institutions.

Smurfit and banks take hardest fall

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares fell yesterday, led by Smurfit Kappa and the banks as both the papermaker and global financial shares suffered following downgrades.

Irish stocks reach five-month peak as Fed pledges low rates

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH stocks jumped to a five-month high as shares elsewhere in Europe soared to a 17-month peak following the Federal Reserve's pledge to maintain record-low borrowing costs for an extended period to safeguard the economic recovery.

Oil declines as dollar strengthens

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:41:56 +0000

Oil fell for the first time in three days as a stronger dollar trimmed demand for commodities and a report showed US crude stockpiles increased last week.

Food for thought on investing in companies with negative net worth

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

JOHN Dorfman, chairman of Thunderstorm Capital in Boston and one of the world's great value investors, rarely buys a stock whose liabilities are greater than stockholders' equity. It's a policy that has served him well but it would leave him with few stocks to buy in Ireland.

AIB bond swap lifts ISEQ higher

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares gained, dragged higher by Icon and Allied Irish Banks after the lender launched a $4bn bond exchange offer.

Fears over Chinese economic moves spark ISEQ decline

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares fell in tandem with their European counterparts yesterday as investors fretted that China will take more steps to cool its economy and as Moody's said the US and Britain are closer to losing their AAA credit ratings.

Oil falls on OPEC output concerns

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:46:58 +0000

Crude oil declined for a second day on speculation fuel inventories may remain high as supply from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries outpaces the recovery in global demand.

ISEQ rounds off the week with a broad positive tone

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

THE ISEQ jumped at the off yesterday and held on to a generous gain to end the week on a positive note. The performance mirrored that of other European bourses where investors were buoyed by speculation of a fresh wave of mergers and acquisitions that could prove a boon to share prices.

Regulator's remarks boost shares

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares gained, bucking the trend elsewhere in Europe as benchmark heavyweight CRH advanced after its bonds were upgraded and banks rose following a speech by the new regulator.

Oil drops as dollar strengthens against euro

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:44:52 +0000

Crude oil fell as the dollar headed for its biggest weekly increase against the euro since January, curbing the appeal of commodities as an alternative investment.

Crude oil rises as dollar weakens

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:08:07 +0000

Crude oil traded above $82 a barrel in New York, poised for a second weekly gain, as the dollar weakened and the IEA bolstered its outlook for oil demand.

ISEQ rises by €13bn in a year with bailout bounce

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

SHARES listed on the Irish stock exchange's benchmark ISEQ index have risen in value by around €13bn since they hit a 15-year low this time last year, according to Irish Independent calculations.

Why even the US stock exchange gets a bit tipsy on St Patrick's Day

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

HERE'S an investment strategy that some might like to try: betting on a St Patrick's Day bounce on the US stock markets next week.

Downgradings spark fall in shares

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares fell for the first time in eight days after brokers downgraded several companies. The benchmark ISEQ closed down 7.11 points, or 0.2pc, 3008.73 points.

Aer Lingus rises as board discusses cost savings target

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:09:22 +0000

Aer Lingus rose as much as 5pc in Dublin as the company’s board meets to discuss ways to achieve a cost-savings target.

Gains for CRH provide boost for ISEQ as major banks post losses

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares gained yesterday, inching up 5.74 points, or 0.2pc, closing at 3016.14 as CRH gained. The banks trimmed recent advances.

Banks push ISEQ above 3,000 for first time in month

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

STRONG performances by the two main financial institutions -- Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks (AIB), as well as a rise in Irish Life & Permanent stock, helped to tip the ISEQ Overall Index above a psychologically important 3,000 level for the first time in about a month.

AIB shares up on news state aid is last resort

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

SHARES in Allied Irish Banks soared yesterday as investors digested the company's reassurances earlier this week that it is looking at options to replenish its capital, with more state help a last resort.

Stocks still on the rise for fifth day

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH stocks rose for a fifth day as financials surged following a raft of better-than-expected results over the past few days and reassuring comments about the banks' plans to remain free of Government control.

Ryanair shares fall despite 6pc increase in passengers

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Ryanair's passenger traffic rose 6pc in February compared to the corresponding month in 2009 to 4.37 million, the airline said yesterday.

Smurfit can be a short-term winner for investors with real courage

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

SMURFIT Kappa has been an extraordinary performer of late, but the papermaker, which floated in March 2007, remains one of the exchange's dogs when one takes a three-year view.

Oil hits seven-week high after US production rise

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

OIL rose to a seven-week high after a US government report showed that refinery operating rates climbed to the highest level since October, bolstering demand.

Prospect of pension reform buoys ISEQ financial stocks

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares gained for a fourth day yesterday as some financial stocks were buoyed by the prospects of radical reforms of the pension industry.

Gains in stock overshadow declines

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares advanced as declines in CRH and Paddy Power following disappointing results were overshadowed by gains in financial services stocks.

Hope of Greek bailout boosts bourses

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH stocks gained for a second day after rising in tandem with shares elsewhere in Europe following a slew of economic reports that showed factories worldwide enjoyed a bumper month in February and hopes of a bailout for Greece.

Greece and US spark ISEQ drop

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH stocks dropped the most in almost three weeks as markets everywhere sagged on news that Moody's said it may cut Greece's debt rating and US jobless claims and manufacturing orders missed forecasts.

Dragon spreading wings with $1.1bn expansion into new regions

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

DRAGON Oil, which released its full-year results this week, is a curious cultural hybrid that has been very good to those brave investors who bought the stock two or three years ago.

Mortgage-default warning makes IL&P big ISEQ loser

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

THE ISEQ fell for a second day yesterday despite gains elsewhere in Europe and further afield after US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he would keep interest rates low to ensure the economic recovery.

Banking concerns drag ISEQ lower

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares fell, led lower by Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland on renewed concern that they will soon be controlled by the State.

ISEQ is up after day of fluctuation

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

IRISH shares swung between gains and losses yesterday, tracking fluctuations elsewhere in Europe.

BoI fears cancel out optimism from Europe

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Irish shares ended yesterday's session virtually unchanged as upbeat sentiment across Europe was offset by fears Bank of Ireland (BoI) faced having to issue a massive amount of shares to the State in lieu of a cash dividend due on its preference share investment.

Airline investors revolt over bonus for CEO

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:42:23 +0000

EASYJET faced an investor revolt yesterday as one-quarter of the budget carrier's shareholders voted against a £1.2m bonus (€1.38m) for the departing chief executive.

ISEQ closes up for third day

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:37:27 +0000

THE ISEQ gained for a third day as a slew of small companies announced good news. Shares elsewhere also gained as companies unveiled pleasant surprises which beat analysts’ expectations.