Wall Street's near 3 per cent plunge on Friday and follow-on declines on most major international markets saw Irish share prices suffer heavy losses across the board, with most ISEQ index heavyweights, except NASDAQ-listed Elan, closing well down on last Friday's level.
Interest rate fears meant that most of its British peer groups were lower, but CRH under-performed its sector and fell as low as €17.27 before closing 97 cents weaker on €17.30. For a leading industrial, CRH is becoming a seriously volatile stock, with any decent recovery being followed by serious profit-taking. Eircom was another big industrial to suffer a heavy fall, down 15 1/4 cents on €4.30, while Smurfit recovered from a low of €2.55 to end down 4 cents on €2.61.
Among technology stocks Horizon regained 15 cents to €10.55, but otherwise NASDAQ's closure for the President's Day holiday meant that the sector was quiet. On the Neuer Markt, Trintech drifted €7.45 lower to €103.00 while in London Baltimore lost £4.50 to £120.50 sterling.
Fears about the impact of the depressed commodity dairy markets on its upcoming results saw Glanbia slump another 13 cents to 85 cents, while Arnotts was 35 cents lower on €6.00 despite an expected revaluation of its property assets. Barlo was 4 cents lower on 80 cents.
While Bank of Ireland continued to keep its head above water, down just 1 cent to €6.18, AIB remains friendless and tumbled another 25 cents to €7.93.
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