Yesterday was a mixed day on European markets as stocks treaded water on light volumes. US stocks opened slightly higher as post-election jitters and fears of a fiscal cliff abated on news that consumer sentiment, as measured by the University of Michigan/Thompson Reuters, was at a five-year high in November. The Iseq index finished up 3.8 points at 3,294.57.

EMC, which employs 2,500 in the Republic of Ireland, most of them at its Ovens and Ballincollig plants in co cork, has reported global third quarter consolidated revenues of €3.6bn.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice advised on more mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2010 than any other law firm according to two surveys.