Mixed day for financial sector

THE Irish market followed the upward trend set by the major European bourses with the ISEQ index ending the session 11.93 points higher at 5308.58.

The financials were mixed. Irish Life & Permanent fell 20c to €12.70, Anglo Irish Bank eased 10c to €13.15 while Bank of Ireland slipped 12c to €10.58. Allied Irish Bank, climbed 8c to €12.25 and IFG Group added 5c to €1.10.

Grafton Group rose 15c to €6.45, CRH firmed 4c to €17.59 while Kingspan added 5c to close on €4.83. Paddy Power climbed 8c to €9.13, while Waterford Wedgwood was unchanged at €16.5c.