European bourses end trading in the red

EUROPEAN bourses ended trading in the red yesterday. The ISEQ index mirrored these declines for most of the day but managed to nudge ahead to finish at 6030.94, just 1.71 points higher at the closing bell.

In the financial sector, AIB rose 4c to 16.12 while Bank of Ireland slid to €12.45, 10c lower. Anglo Irish Bank, which announced a two for one share split, jumped 35c to €19.60, while Irish Life & Permanent slipped back 8c to €13.67.

Budget Carrier Ryanair dropped 15c to €5.93, as oil prices rose to a new record high. Paddy Power, which announced that CEO John O’Reilly is to stand down in the next year, fell 5c to €13.50. Pharmaceutical company Elan advanced 14c to €2.84.