Economy shows positive signs for year ahead

IRISH equities got the thumbs-up from one of the country's leading investment management firms yesterday. Hibernian Investment Managers (HIM) said it was upbeat about the prospects for the Irish economy in the year ahead and that it would invest a greater portion of its funds in Irish stocks than most of its competitors.

The company also tipped high-yielding stocks that paid bigger dividends as an attractive home for investors.

"Ireland ticks all the boxes as far as international investors are concerned," said HIM chief investment officer Roy Asher. "Our economy is growing three times faster than that of our European counterparts, supporting double-digit earnings growth in the Irish market."