Market rises despite Italian factor

THE ISEQ index closed up 22.13 points at 2,687.26.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was put under further pressure to resign, after he appeared to lose his parliamentary majority in a key vote. Italian 10-year borrowing costs touched a new record of 6.74%.

In the financial sector, Bank of Ireland dropped 0.2c to 9c. AIB were unchanged at 8.6c. Irish Life & Permanent slipped 0.4c to 3.6c, while insurance group FBD Holdings lost 9c to 6.31.