THE ISEQ index finished the week strongly closing up 45.84 points at 3,011.24. Markets throughout the world put in strong performances buoyed by news from the US that employers cut a smaller than expected 36,000 jobs in February, leaving the unemployment rate steady at 9.7%.
In the financial sector, AIB progressed 20c to €1.44. Bank of Ireland moved up 12c to €1.21. Irish Life & Permanent improved 21c to €3.23 while insurance company FBD Holdings was 20c stronger at €5.95.
In the construction sector, CRH was 33c stronger at €17.40. Grafton Group continued its good run with a gain of 10c to €2.95 while Kingspan added 1c to €5.76.
In other news, Aer Lingus was unchanged at 61c. A plan that will see up to 600 voluntary redundancies and cuts of up to €97m has been approved by the airline’s pilots in a union ballot. Smurfit Kappa increased 15c to €16.29 while Kerry Group weakened 52c to €23.76.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, March 06, 2010
