A US private equity fund is in talks to take a controlling stake in struggling Irish crystal and ceramics manufacturer Waterford Wedgwood for €600m, according to sources briefed on the negotiations.

WATERFORD WEDGEWOOD, which has posted losses for four years, may sell shares to raise cash, the Sunday Times reported, without citing anyone.

Fears are growing for the future of 500 jobs at Waterford Crystal.

A request for the state to underwrite a bank loan for Waterford Wedgewood, to help the company stay in business, has been turned down.

PETER Cameron, the chief executive of struggling luxury goods maker Waterford Wedgwood, has stepped down unexpectedly.

Waterford Wedgwood has confirmed plans to lay off a significant number of workers as part of a restructuring process.

THE ISEQ Index closed up mirroring the gains in other European bourses. The Dublin exchange was 17.58 points higher at 7828.68.

A week of consecutive gains ended on the ISEQ in Dublin today as the index slipped back 21.98 to 6,047.36.

The financials helped the ISEQ to surge towards the 6000 barrier today with excellent half-year results from Anlo Irish Bank a major contributor to the rise.

The ISEQ had the 6000 barrier within its sights after it surged in early trading today.

Luxury goods group Waterford Wedgwood said today it planned to cut 1,800 jobs as part of a major restructuring of its operations in Ireland and the UK.

LAST week’s downward trend continued yesterday for the ISEQ Index. The exchange closed down 22.78 to settle at 6061.52.

The ISEQ has started the week on a negative note, despite huge gains for construction group Kingspan.

The ISEQ has started the week off in negative form despite news of Kingspan's acquisition of Century Homes today.

THE ISEQ index ended the week with the negative trend prevailing. The Dublin market moved downward, to the tune of 20.60, to close out at 6084.30, despite European markets having a generally positive day.

SHARES in Waterford Wedgwood fell by as much as 36% yesterday after the company’s finance director quit to become finance boss at AgCert International Ltd.

The Dublin stock exchange continued a week of losses today as it saw its overall price fall 11.79 points to 6,084.30, despite gains in the construction sector and by Icon PLC.

The ISEQ is on course to end a week of consecutive losses today, climbing 19.50 by mid-morning to stand at 6,115.59.

Ryanair's share price leaped ahead by over 3% today despite a report claiming workers there have complained about low pay, long hours and having to pay for water during flights.

The ISEQ index enjoyed a late surge in afternoon trading today to climb 24.33 to 6.173.53 at the close of business today.

The financials suffered losses this morning as the ISEQ index of shares gained just 7.69 points in early trading to stand at 6156.89.

THE Irish market dwindled around par value on a quiet day of trading, with the main financials taking punishment at the hands of widespread profit-taking.

Waterford Wedgwood's American arm has been ordered to pay $500,000 (€408,000) to the office of the New York Attorney General.

The ISEQ climbed 14.59 to end the day on 5,351.51, with financial stocks helping the positive close.

The ISEQ was up 20.28 points on this morning to 5328.86.

The ISEQ in Dublin closed down eight points to 5,208 at 5.30pm following a downward trend on markets worldwide as the US released weak job data which fell short of analysts expectations.

The ISEQ was down 17 points to 5266 just after 11.30am this morning on sluggish volume, with the exception of Waterford Wedgwood and Independent News and Media.

The ISEQ was flat this evening at 5,278, slightly dipping into negative territory, down 0.65 points.

Waterford Wedgwood chief executive Redmond O'Donoghue has bought 1.2 millon shares in the company for €240,000.

Waterford Crystal management and unions are considering an extended summer closure in the hope of avoiding job cuts at its plants in Dungarvan and Waterford city.

THE rattle of Abrams tank tracks on the streets of central Baghdad sent shares and the dollar soaring while hitting the price of gold and oil.

THE fall in the value of the dollar will impact negatively on the earnings of Irish companies with exposure to US markets, hitting earnings by an average of 2% to 3%.

THE ISEQ Index of shares closed marginally higher yesterday, gaining 13.28 to 4179.92 points.

THE ISEQ index closed marginally lower at 4304.83 points yesterday, down 5.88 points on the day.

Luxury goods group Waterford Wedgwood today produced a marked improvement on the disappointing interim figures which led to 1,100 job cuts last year.

THE ISEQ closed 67.98 points higher at 4289.83 yesterday. Stocks gaining outnumbered stocks in negative territory two to one, while 33 finished unchanged.

Waterford Wedgwood has revealed a drop in profits following a wave of job cuts.

RTE has become the third Irish company to announce lay-offs today, with 160 jobs expected to be lost across all divisions of the company.