Bank of Ireland’s major operations in Britain have so far weathered the fallout of Brexit but the deficit in the lender’s defined benefit pension scheme continues to drag on its capital.

Housebuilder Abbey has reported pre-tax profits of almost €22m for the six months to the end of October, down almost €8m from the same period in 2015.

Shares in Permanent TSB rose more than 3% on hopes that the mortgage lender has turned a new chapter by focusing on growing new mortgage lending here after selling off a major UK loan book.

The total stock of loans advanced by banks to Irish households continues to contract and has now slumped to levels last recorded almost 11 years ago in 2004, Central Bank figures published yesterday showed.

Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate — which bought significant commercial properties in Dublin in recent years — yesterday released strong figures for the first half of the year.

Half-term reports due next week from two of Ireland’s diminished roster of lenders — Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB — will likely reflect something of the two-speed turnaround for the once battered banking sector.

The number of mortgage loans drawn down by home buyers has rebounded to their highest level for seven years, but new Central Bank restrictions on lending will likely stem any new credit-fuelled house price boom, analysts predict.

Publicly-quoted property investment fund, Hibernia Reit has acquired a prominent city centre office block in Dublin, for nearly €50m, marking its second major investment inside a month.

Hibernia REIT is to lodge a planning application that could see the Garda regional headquarters, on Dublin’s Harcourt Square, replaced by up to 300,000sq ft of prime office development.

Publicly quoted property investment fund, Hibernia REIT has noted a strong start to 2015 and has said it sees there being a number of acquisition opportunities becoming available in the Dublin commercial property sphere over the next year and a half.

The Department of Finance is preparing to pick banking advisers next week, as it weighs how to recoup a €21bn taxpayer bailout of AIB.

A subsidiary of US private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management has bought a significant proportion of Royal Bank of Scotland’s remaining Irish property loan portfolio for £1.1bn (€1.38bn), a near 80% discount on the combined gross value of the assets.

Van Morisson’s incantations and repetitions, admonitions, yearnings and folk-music prove that people walked this earth yearning for a heaven elsewhere. Thomas McCarthy on a selection of Morisson’s lyrics.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said if Permanent TSB Group Holdings, the 99.2% government- owned lender, needs to raise capital after European stress tests this month, it can do so in the markets and not upset state finances.

The European arm of an international property investment firm has agreed a new £225m (€285m) credit facility with a syndicate of three major banks.

US insurance giant Liberty Mutual has said that its Irish business is driving the group’s operations in Europe.

Goodbody Stockbrokers has initiated coverage of the two main domestic REITs (real estate investment trusts) which floated on the Iseq last year, stating that both have significant scope for share value growth this year.

Two of Ireland’s banks are betting that property prices are going to rise and are releasing new mortgage products aimed at tempting investors back into the property market.

September marked the sixth consecutive month in which Ulster Bank saw the amount of mortgage customers in arrears for 90 days, or more, decline.

A decision on the future of Ulster Bank will be made within three weeks, according to the UK chancellor George Osborne.

The pensions, investment, and advisory group IFG saw an operating profit of £3.3m (€4.12m) for the first six months of the year, down from a £4.9m operating profit for the same period in 2011.

A sell recommendation has been placed on Bank of Ireland with a price target of 8c by Goodbody Stockbrokers.

Lloyds Banking Group Plc, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, said its Irish loan impairment charge was cut by half to £897m (€1.115bn) in the first six months compared with a year earlier as the pace of increase of home-loan arrears slowed.

Two of the largest banking groups in Britain have said their Irish operations pose their biggest problems for loan book recovery.

Ulster Bank is set to remain a core element of the Royal Bank of Scotland group, despite the British government looking to begin the process of selling its majority share in the bank.

Bank of Ireland’s well-performing financial services joint venture with the British post office is unlikely to be affected by any partial sale or flotation of the Royal Mail next year.

IRISH Life’s share of the life assurance and pensions market is set to increase past the 30% mark on the back of the company signing up to be AIB’s new third-party provider.

AIB still expects to cut its bad debt next year, despite rising arrears and a challenging outlook for the economy, as the eurozone debt crisis rapidly worsens and Government austerity measures deepen.

RYANAIR says it bought back seven million shares yesterday — bucking the global sell-off that sent the Stoxx Europe 600 Index to its steepest drop since May 2010.

THE threat of industrial action by pilots is to blame for a 1.7% fall in passengers at Aer Lingus last month to 925,000, according to the airline.

RYANAIR is working with a Chinese manufacturer on developing aircraft which it said could lead to lower travel costs for consumers.

BANK OF IRELAND has defended the burden-sharing element of its capital raising plan in the face of a fresh legal challenge from British-based bondholders over the matter.

AER Lingus is facing a big test this summer, according to analysts who believe things are looking up for the airline.

IRISH Life & Permanent may need an injection of up to €1 billion in state funding once details of the stress tests are announced tomorrow.

IRISH airports and retailers south of the border could be the losers in the British budget today, with exporters left smiling.

THE British-based Lloyds TSB Bank suffered a £4 billion (€4.264bn) bad debt write-down on its Irish operations last year, up from €2.949bn in 2009.

THE £500 million (€362m) increase in Ulster Bank’s annual impairment charge for non-performing loans has put commentators on high alert over a potential domino effect concerning the other domestic Irish banks — with each expected to report annual results in the coming months.

INDUSTRIAL disputes and a paring back of routes meant Aer Lingus carried about a sixth fewer passengers last month than a year ago.

AER LINGUS saw passenger numbers fall almost 16% in the last year.

IRISH stocks closed in positive territory last night following what was one of the toughest weeks ever for the Irish economy.

BANK of Ireland has reported its underlying operating profit, before bad debts, for the year to December 2010 will be 35% to 40% lower than the €1.5 billion reported in 2009.

DUBLIN stockbrokers said yesterday the new Basel III capital requirements being introduced to prevent another global banking collapse will post no serious challenges for Irish banks.

AIB could be close to raising part of its end-of-year capital requirement through the sale of its 22.5% stake in New York-based M&T Bank.

THE cash-rich Co Kerry-based financial services company FEXCO is on the cusp of buying Goodbody Stockbrokers from Allied Irish Bank.