Financials in fine form

THE ISEQ closed in positive territory yesterday, rising 43.16 points from Thursday's tally to 4419.56 points.

The financial sector performed strongly. Irish Life & Permanent Plc led the charge by adding 39c to €11.64.

Shares in Ireland's leading mortgage lender gained for successive days on the foot of statistics published earlier in the week confirming a 10% rise in house prices for the first ten months of the year.