Elan the catalyst for positive close

THE Irish market ended the day in positive territory with Elan the catalyst for the rise. The ISEQ rose 13.63 points to 6822.47 at the closing bell.

A mixed day in the financial sector left AIB 4c higher at €17.98 while Bank of Ireland saw an increase of 12c to €13.27. Anglo Irish fell back 12c to €11.25, while Irish Life and Permanent finished down 15c to €15.00.

In construction, CRH dipped 20c to €22.85 as British peer Lafarge reported 7% decline in H1 profits. Elsewhere in the sector, Kingspan and McInerney also weakened, down 9c and 2c respectively.