AFTER showing moderate gains in early trading Dublin’s ISEQ share index began the week on the wrong foot by falling 1.26% — or nearly 30 points — to rest at just over 2,300 points.

THE head of the Irish operation of global banking giant HSBC has claimed the group is committed to this market and is looking to grow here, despite overall group profits falling by 18% to $19.9 billion (€15.8bn) for 2008.