Shares end on positive note

SHARES ended the day slightly lower having spent most of the day in the red as profit-taking continued to weigh in early trading.

At the closing bell the ISEQ had dipped by 2.38 points to 6302.23.

The financial sector was mixed but overall closed 20.05 points higher mainly led by Anglo-Irish. AIB gave up 3c to €16.90. Bank of Ireland and Irish Life & Permanent were also down 8c and 5c, while Anglo-Irish bucked the trend climbing 27c to €9.97 with over three million shares changing hands.

Shares in hotel group Jurys Doyle fell 20c after it announced it had rejected a second takeover bid by the Precinct consortium. Construction stocks continued to slide. Market leader CRH dropped 19c to €22.25. Kingspan and Grafton were weaker by 8c and 15c. Kerry Group shed 20c to €20.15, while Dragon Oil climbed 13c.