Davy Stockbrokers is actively targeting a number of further acquisition opportunities in Northern Ireland as a means of more easily entering the UK market.

The now defunct Bloxham Stockbrokers’ membership of the Irish Stock Exchange has been revoked, which means it could miss out on a lucrative payout when the ISE is demutualised.

MANAGEMENT at the exploration company Circle Oil has hailed “excellent progress” made in the first half of the year, with after-tax profits surging by 316%, year-on-year, to $8.7 million (€6.2m).

PRODUCTION levels in Irish factories rose by 4% on a year-on-year basis during April, according to latest figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

CONSUMER spending is stabilising but retailers will still be under significant pressure to offer bargain discounts in the run-up to Christmas, say analysts.