ISEQ up, Independent group static

The ISEQ index of Irish shares was up 60.21 points to 5436.80.

Independent News and Media remained static on €1.94 the news that one of its companies in the Australia had won the auction for a new license in Brisbane,

Pharmaceutical firm Elan continued its good run, up 35c to €19.20.

Financials were mixed, with AIB up 21c to €12.60, while Anglo Irish was up 13c to €13.43 and BoI was up 5c to €10.45.

Barlo group was up 2c to €0.48 on the news that the Quinn Group is close to taking control of the radiator and plastics group.

Construction stocks saw CRH up 36c to €17.77.

Fellow builders McInerney were up 5c to €4.92, while Grafton was up 6c to €6.17.

Earlier figures from the Central Statistics Office pointed to 25% of all new houses being built during 1996 and 2002 in the Kildare and Meath regions.

Eircom was down 1c to €1.47, while bookmakers Paddy Power were up 20c to €9.30 ahead of next week's Punchestown racing festival.

Ryanair was up 21c to €4.97 after analysts said that a summer of labour discontent was forecast at Italian airline Alitalia.

Last weekend, a board member representing the banks resigned and warned that the Italian government does not appreciate how precarious Alitalia's finances are.