ISEQ down as major companies fall

The ISEQ fell 62.91 points today to 6717.52, mirroring the downward trend of London’s FTSE.

Building company Grafton fell 43c (4.8%) to €8.50, despite announcing interim pre-tax profits of €87.4m, up 28% from last year.

CRH fell 20c to €22.40.

Ferry company Irish Continental lost 20c (2%) to €9.95.

Meanwhile, airline Ryanair announced that it was making Cork its 15th European base, that a court ruling meant it was postponing its plan to create a base in Hamburg Lubeck, and that it would fly daily between Knock and London Luton from October 30.

The airline’s share price fell by 10c (1.5%) to €6.75.

Bank of Ireland was down 14c (1.1%) at €12.84, Irish Life and Permanent fell 9c to €15.01, and Anglo Irish Bank closed down 4c at €11.08.

AIB was the day’s busiest share, and closed down 3c at €17.59.

Eircom dropped 1c to €2.03.