European markets stage fightback

European bourses moved higher across the board yesterday as macro data from the US came in favourably.

Pending home sales and durable goods data were in positive territory. With a two-day meeting of EU leaders beginning today, European markets were relatively quiet as investors and professionals await newsflow. The ISEQ index gained 40.1 points to 3,066.2.

Trading in Irish banks was relatively light again with AIB and Permanent TSB Group being particularly thin. The former finished flat at 6.7c, while the latter gained 8%, or 0.2c, to 2.7c. Bank of Ireland was also flat, closing at 8.8c.