Goodbody Stockbrokers has been ranked as the top Irish broker by international fund managers in a survey on behalf of Reuters by British group Tempest Consultants.

But while Goodbody was ranked number one, with 24.7 per cent of the fund managers' votes, its rating has fallen sharply from the 31.9 per cent received 12 months ago.

Davy Stockbrokers was in second position with 24.3 per cent, while in third position, with 16.2 per cent, was Merrion Capital. NCB was in fourth position with 15 per cent of the vote, while fifth place went to ABN-Amro with 6.5 per cent. The remaining 13 per cent went to international broking houses which trade in Irish stocks.