Building materials group Grafton today said trading performance for the year to November 17 had made "steady progress".

APN News and Media, the Australia/New Zealand media company in which ISEQ-listed Independent News and Media has a 39.76% shareholding, reported its 2004 interim results yesterday.

THE Government has paid out more than €2 million in PR and advertising fees for electronic voting since the rollout of the system was abandoned.

Pharmacy chain Boots said that like-for-like sales fourth quarter sales increased 4.6%, the seventh consecutive quarter of growth, and that it plans to invest £390m (€582.7) in its chemist stores this year and next year.

MARTIN CULLEN’S hired PR guns hit back against the apparent lack of public confidence in electronic voting yesterday by highlighting the faith Indian voters have in the system.

SMALL but perfectly formed. Very powerful. Always 100% accurate. Tested under the most arduous laboratory conditions including bombardments from cosmic rays, hackers, Bernard Allen and Eamon Gilmore.

Microsoft sales up 19% in Q4

MARTIN Cullen yesterday denied any favouritism in his awarding of a 4.5 million publicity contract to a consortium, which includes a former Fianna Fáil general secretary and the Taoiseach's ex-advisor.

It is still unclear how Merck Laboratories decision to cut 4,400 jobs worldwide will impact on its Irish operation.

THREE high-profile spin-doctors are to intensify competition for blue-chip clients in the fiercely- fought public relations’ sector.

Dell has reported a 32% rise in net profits for Q4.

EDS [NYSE:EDS]] has chosen SmartForce [Nasdaq:SMTF] to provide e-learning for the Navy Marine Corps Intranet project.