INSURANCE and banking group Irish Life & Permanent is in talks to buy Dolmen Securities’ stockbroking business, aiming to beef up its position in the wealth management market, the Sunday Times reported.

INDEPENDENT News and Media’s jobcutting and restructuring programme aimed at making the company a low-cost provider in all its market is expected to boost profits this year and the years ahead.

ELAN’s ongoing problems with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over its accounting procedures is the main inhibitor to investors after the company posted stronger than expected sales’ growth yesterday.

THE aggressive move by Bank of Scotland, Ireland (BOSI) for dominance of the Irish business banking market is expected to force the AIB and Bank of Ireland to pay more interest on current accounts, according to some Irish brokers.

PHONE punters are leaving their betting shop counterparts in the also-ran place in the gambling stakes, placing wagers seven times greater than the cloth cap brigade.