Market report: Anglo Irish Bank was among the main movers to feature on the Irish stock market yesterday as the firm's shares lost more than 2 per cent of their value in a broadly unchanged market.

Dealers said a note from Merrill Lynch, noting that the share price was up with events, prompted sellers to come out although the stock closed off the day's lows at €13.30, down 30 cent or 2.2 per cent.

In contrast, Irish Life & Permanent added 20 cent, or 1 per cent, to €20.00 amid SSIA optimism and as investors shrugged off worries about last week's move by the financial regulator to raise capital requirements for high loan-to-value mortgages.

AIB and Bank of Ireland turned in more lacklustre performances, with the former adding five cent to €19.75 while the latter was unchanged at €15.35.

Traders said CRH had a good day, adding 19 cent to €28.90 while elsewhere in the construction sector, Kingspan also found favour as it gained nine cent to €12.69.

There was renewed interest in Eircom, which nudged up by one cent to €2.14 amid renewed optimism that Babcock & Brown Capital would shortly return with an offer for the company.

Shares in Independent News & Media were unchanged at €2.67 as activity quietened down after Friday's flurry. Just 2.7 million shares changed hands in Dublin with 1.4 million shares traded in London.

The only change in shareholding notified yesterday was the purchase by chairman Brian Hillery of 15,000 shares in the company, at a total cost of €40,350. Shares in DCC lost 25 cent, or 1.3 per cent, to €18.95 as the company upgraded its forecasts for this year, but downgraded next year's projections, due to changes in the expected contribution from its housebuilding subsidiary, Manor Park Homes.

Shares in Ryanair remained under pressure, shedding eight cent or 1 per cent to wind up at €7.75.