Ryanair down despite O’Leary optimism

Low fares airline Ryanair closed down 10c to €6.20 on the ISEQ index today.

Earlier, Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said he was ‘pleased’ with the hearing in France over the dispute concerning its Strasbourg service.

The company also announced a sale and leaseback deal worth €422m.

The agreement is for 10 Boeing 737-800 next generation aircraft with RBS Aviation Capital, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Financial stocks saw AIB down 1c to €12.27, Bank of Ireland static at €10.61 while Anglo Irish saw its share price rise 10c to €12.30.

Construction stock saw Grafton up 13c to €5.58 and Heiton up 8c to €3.78.

Earlier, analysts had reported that housing completion figures were up 18% for the nine months to September 2003.

47,478 houses were completed and even if Q4 completion figures remained flat, almost 65,000 homes would be built by the end of the year, 7,000 more than 2002.

The biggest mover on the ISEQ was pharmaceutical firm Elan, up 20c to €4.72 while FBD was the biggest loser down 60c to €13.20.