Market falls for fifth consecutive day

THE ISEQ index fell again yesterday for the fifth consecutive day, mirroring a decline across Europe and London. The Dublin market shed 95.62 points to close at 5833.86.

The financial sector was the major contributor to the decline in the ISEQ. Leader AIB dropped 40c on the day to end trading at €15.85, despite chairman Dermot Gleeson stating the company were on track to meet profit forecasts. Bank of Ireland shed 7c to close out at €12.00. Irish Life & Permanent also saw 36c stripped from their share price while Anglo-Irish slipped back 5c.

Grafton shares closed 42c weaker at €8.58 on the back of difficult trading conditions announced by competitors in the UK, reflecting reduced consumer spending and bad weather. CRH lost 36c, to cross the line at €19.29 while Kingspan also fell by 50c to €8.85.