AIB profits leap as doubts rise on IPO this year

AIB says it’s in good enough shape for the first slice of the bank to be sold off later this year, and hopes that turbulent market conditions will have settled by then.

The focus fell yesterday on the timing of any initial public offering (IPO) as the bank announced pre-tax profits of €1.9bn for 2015, marking a huge 72% leap from 2014.

However, some analysts now say an IPO this year would not be in the best interests of the State following the turmoil facing European bank shares since the start of the year.