US stocks fell tonight as New York State followed California in ordering non-key workers to stay at home and the UK caught up with the rest of Europe by ordering the closure of pubs and cafes to fight the deadly Covid-19 outbreak.

Shares in AIB posted crisis-era losses as international investors assessed the damage to the economy and the loan books of the country’s banks from the fallout of the Covid-19 crisis.

Property prices increased by 1.8% in January — in the biggest monthly increase since August.

Bank of Ireland said it will advance emergency business loans for companies hit by the coronavirus fallout, while rival AIB said there was an increased risk of the outbreak damaging the Irish economy.

Irish consumers remain “wary” about the future despite feeling better about Brexit, which may explain the views of voters in the final week of the election campaign, according to a major survey.

Corporate tax revenues were the star performer in the first month of the year, but Vat receipts fell back and Government spending rose sharply, the monthly exchequer figures showed.

Politicians have been put on alert that strong economic growth won’t necessarily boost the feel-good factor among consumers ahead of an election this year, according to the author of the KBC Bank sentiment survey.

In Ireland, the degree to which prosperity is felt beyond the big cities will determine whether Leo Varadkar returns to power, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

Today’s Irish labour market remains strong by historical standards as we enter the next decade, but of course, sustaining the growth story will not be easy.

GDP growth is an imperfect guide, while age, financial security, and a sense of purpose are better at predicting the population’s sense of wellbeing, according to a new survey on financial security by KBC Bank Ireland.

Irish business leaders and analysts have hailed the prospects for the UK approving the withdrawal agreement next month but warn that the risk of Brexit disruption may be just delayed for a year.

New data released by the CSO illustrates the reliance on existing builds in the property market. It also shows price inflation at its lowest point since December 2007.

Corporation tax revenues will again likely make an outsized contribution to overall tax revenues this year, providing the Government with some sort of comfort that it can meet its hefty spending commitments in the short term.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe could tap hundreds of millions from surging tax receipts to fund giveaway measures in his budget next week — but much will still depend on the scale of potential health spending overruns for the rest of the year.

Tax revenues continued to pour into the exchequer last month, easing the pressure on Paschal Donohoe even as a snap UK election and a crash-out Brexit could still undo his October budget plans, analysts said.

Ireland’s population has reached its highest point in 170 years and could be set to pass the 5m mark as early as next year.

Irish jobs growth fell for the first time in seven years in the second quarter of the year, indicating that employment may be reaching peak level.

The latest Population and Migration Estimates report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that the population of Ireland increased by 64,500, bringing the overall total to 4.92 million as of the end of April this year.

Almost a quarter of people here say they can’t afford a holiday this year, while those who are taking a break are not spending significantly more than they did a year ago.