Market rises for fourth day in row

SHARES in Dublin bucked the European trend by advancing for a fourth consecutive day. At the closing bell, the ISEQ had moved ahead 17.29 points to 6481.72.

The main banks were stronger. Bank of Ireland gained 8c to €13.08, while AIB advanced to €17.82. Anglo Irish Bank nudged ahead by 3c, while on the downside Irish Life & Permanent gave up 30c to €14.30.

Elsewhere, Elan saw 14c wiped off Thursday's close and finished at €5.50, while Ryanair shed 6c to €6.47. Exploration Company Providence Resources slipped to 5.6c.

In construction, Kingspan added 14c to €9.99, while CRH was steady at €21.70. Grafton Group and McInerney were also stronger, gaining 2c and 4c respectively.