Trading in equities up 20% to €65.8bn

TRADING in equities on the Irish Stock Exchange in the first half of 2006 was €65.8 billion — up 20% over the same period in 2005.

Average daily equity turnover rose to€526 million from €441m in first half of 2005.

Daily transactions done on the equity market are up 22% in the first half of 2006 to 3,843. Four new companies entered the Irish Enterprise Exchange this year.

Companies trading on the ISE raised €1,153m in the first half of 2006. The number of transactions traded on the ISE reached its lifetime high of 6,574 on May 31.

The Irish Enterprise Exchange (IEX) continues to attract new companies, with four new companies joining so far in 2006: AGI Therapeutics plc, Blackrock International Land plc, Calyx Group plc and Norkom Group plc.

Seventeen companies are listed on the IEX.