Financials and food groups help ISEQ up 40

The ISEQ gained 40.17 points to 8579.86 this morning.

Insurance group FBD fell €1.17 (3%) to €37.83, and was the morning’s busiest share.

Irish Life and Permanent was up 18c at €19.35.

Allied Irish Bank gained 7c to €21.22. British insurance giant Aviva today announced a 79% increase in Irish sales following a distribution agreement with AIB.

Anglo Irish Bank rose 6c to €13.95, while Bank of Ireland was up 1c at €15.51, despite talk of a trade union campaign against it.

IAWS was up 45c (2.6%) after saying today that it plans to set up a new company to run its agriculture and non-lifestyle food arms.

C&C rose 8c to €12.86.

Independent News and Media made a gain of 5c (2%) to €2.60, after confirming that it is considering a buyout of the entire share capital of Australian firm APN News and Media, in which it has a 40% stake.

CRH slipped 4c to €27.30.

Ryanair gained 1c to €8.87, despite being named in a Guardian poll as the world’s least-favourite airline, while Aer Lingus fell 1c following reports of cost-cutting measures, including possible job cuts.