Big name investors

SEVERAL prominent businessmen are believed to be among the investors in ISTC, which called a halt to trading in its shares yesterday.

The roll-call of shareholders is said to include telecoms entrepreneur Denis O’Brien, Smurfit boss Gary McGann, Anglo Irish Bank chairman Seán FitzPatrick, property developer Paddy Kelly and billionaire Seán Quinn.

Trading in shares in ISTC, which are traded through Goodbody Stockbrokers, was halted at €60 per share. When the shares were issued in 2005 they were valued at €100 each and soared to as high as €345 a share this year as the company expected profits to double and even spoke of a full stock market listing. But the turmoil in the credit markets, which the ISTC said was the most challenging in 30 years, has seen the value of its shares plummet.