ISEQ ends week on a high

The ISEQ index of shares bounced back from yesterday's losses to close up 43.29 points at 7654.02.

A steady list of low-to-mid-sized gains kept the index in the black today.

Financial stocks led the charge, with Bank of Ireland gaining 20c to close at €14.35.

The bank today launched a new venture with Spanish bank la Caixa to provide additional mortgage options for Irish people buying property in Spain. La Caixa is the third largest bank in Spain with 4,800 branches and 6,800 ATMs.

Meanwhile, AIB was up 15c to €18.55, while Anglo Irish Bank was up 2c to €12.97. Irish Life and Permanent was up 10c to €17.60.

Construction group CRH build on yesterday's gains, adding 19c to close at €26.59.

Ryanair shares were up 10c to €7.70 as it announced strong growth after carrying 2.5 million passengers in January – a 24% jump on last year.

The numbers from the no-frills carrier benefited from additional services and new larger aircraft, although seasonal trends and greater capacity meant 26% of its seats were flown empty, compared with a yearly average of 17%.