Markets round-up: Techs rise as gloom lifts

A strong performance from leading blue chips lifted the ISEQ 100 points higher today

A strong performance from leading blue chips lifted the ISEQ 100 points higher today. Technology shares also posted gains after a strong opening on Wall Street.

Optimism that the US economy can still engineer a soft landing helped AIB gain 46 cents to euro 12.10. Bank of Ireland remained more or less flat, losing 3 cents to euro 9.67.

Tourism shares continued to recover after the foot-and-mouth scare today. Jurys gained 41cents to euro 9.03 and Ryanair gained 15 cents to euro 10.75.

Eircom also bounced higher on what was a better day for European TMTs. The shares added 7 cents to euro 2.54 as investors endorsed its restructuring plan.

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Technology shares were buoyed by a strong Nasdaq opening. Baltimore gained 7p to 88p in London and Iona surged 10 per cent to euro 30.17.

London's FTSE 100 index staged a powerful rally today to close above the 5,800 mark for the first time since March 12th, 2001, fuelled by a strong Wall Street open and a bounce in technology and telecoms stocks.