CRH has said it has seen no impact from the coronavirus on its business and it is "way too early" to say if it will hit its balance sheet this year.

Penneys owner ABF said supplies could be hit should the reopening of Chinese factories be delayed because the retailer sources much of its clothing lines from Asia.

An Apple warning about a hit to its supply chain in China stripped over €41bn from the iPhone maker's market value and sent investors seeking out the next corporate victim of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Irish building materials giant CRH may be well-placed to tap the billions of pounds in UK transport and infrastructure spending sanctioned by Boris Johnson.

Geoff Percival US investment giant BlackRock has built up a 4% stake in Irish drinks group, C&C.

The Government should insist Irish stockmarket-listed companies publish more details about the pay of their chief executives and the pay gap with ordinary workers, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has said.

CRH shares rose by nearly 2% on the back of the building materials giant announcing former Bank of Ireland chief executive Richie Boucher as its next chairman.

CRH has said it remains committed to its UK business, despite falling profits and a looming Brexit, and has defended itself against recent criticism from one of its key shareholders.

A sharp rebound for Irish bank shares capped a week in which global stock markets were haunted by the threat of global recession, sparking a flight by investors from shares to government bonds.

Global markets appear to have called time on the dangerous game of hardball US president Donald Trump is playing with China, as a plunge in shares, government bond yields, and the price of oil signalled his trade wars could lead to world recession.

The Irish Stock Exchange has been on an interesting journey during 2019, writes Joe Gill.

International cement companies - including Dublin-based CRH - have been urged by European-based investment funds to significantly cut their greenhouse gas emissions or risk losing access to capital.

CRH’s confirmation of its intention to sell its European distribution business for more than €1.6bn has met a lukewarm response from investors despite the likelihood of more money being returned to them as a result.

So that’s nearly Monday wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Building materials group CRH is reportedly closing in on a €1.7bn sale of its European Distribution business to private equity fund Blackstone.

CRH needs to press ahead with extensive structural improvements, activist shareholder Cevian Capital has said, adding that the Dublin-based building materials company could double in value in the next three to five years if it does so.

Shares in CRH fell by more than 3% despite signs of a recovery in roadbuilding contracts in the US and the group strengthening its building products business there.

CRH shares were largely flat amid growing analyst concern over a potential persistent dip in the level of roadbuilding contracts being granted in the US.

CRH rival Lafargeholcim is eyeing 10 acquisitions this year on the back of stronger-than-expected first quarter earnings and increased customer demand in the European cement market.

Ireland will be the worst hit economy in the eurozone if the US-China trade spat broadens to envelop Europe, according to a leading economics group.

US shares were hit sideways but European markets were relatively unscathed as President Donald Trump insisted he was in no rush to settle the China trade spat.

Apple is once again Ireland's largest company with sales of almost €120bn.

The risk that a potential trade deal between the US and China will unexpectedly unravel into acrimony hit German, Irish, and other shares exposed to world trade.

Building materials group CRH will decide, within the next three months, whether or not to sell its European distribution division.

CRH has confirmed its intention to continue its share buyback programme and return up to a further €350m to investors by August.

CRH is expected to launch another share buyback programme and announce details later this month.

Cork-based tech company Poppulo has raised €30 million in funding from US venture capital firm Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE) as it looks to boost its presence in overseas markets.

Irish shares tapped a surprise early new year buying wave that sent the Iseq Overall index climbing 3%, reflecting huge gains for Bank of Ireland and housebuilder Glenveagh at the end of a week marked by global stock market tremors.

The Irish Stock Exchange Index — the Iseq — is ending the year in a sorry state.

This year, a further seven companies were recertified to the standard: Boots Retail, CRH, Deloitte, ESB, Gas Networks Ireland, Intel and KBC Bank Ireland.

In the overall scheme of things, the Republic of Ireland is a tiny state with a population of just 4.7m people, albeit a population that is rising strongly.

CRH is looking to generate €7bn in cash, before asset disposals, over the next four years which it may use to fund acquisitions, increase dividends, or buy back more shares.

CRH’s market value has increased by €1bn on the back of it announcing an ambitious four-year growth plan which could see the building materials giant spend around €7bn on acquisitions.

European shares fell, with building and construction stocks and airline shares such as CRH, Kingspan, and Ryanair among the sufferers, as tensions between the US and Russia rose over Syria.

Irish paper and packaging giant Smurfit Kappa has rejected a raised takeover offer from US rival International Paper, but a sharp 3.4% fall in Smurfit shares may well signal the hostile suitor is so far winning the €8.9bn bidding war.

CRH has immediate room to spend in the region of €650m-€700m per year on acquisitions, and the company envisages no change to its acquisition-led growth strategy for decades to come.