ISEQ down more than 300 points

The ISEQ index of Irish shares lost 3.69% (308.82 points) in value today, sharing dramatic falls with most world markets after jitters in the US affected trading worldwide.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened more than 100 points lower after the US' biggest mortgage lender Countrywide Financial said it had borrowed $11.5bn (€8.6bn) to fund mortgage lending in a credit crunch which has seen smaller rivals collapse.