Heavy trading in CRH as Jurys has quiet day

Dublin Report: CRH was the star of the show in Dublin with the stock coming back into favour with investors.

More than 13 million shares changed hands on the day, the busiest stock traded by some distance. A strong set of figures from the group this week, together with a strengthening of building materials stocks in the US, helped prompt fresh interest while some investors took profits on the back of the new figures. By the close of business, CRH rose 43 cent to end at €22.45.

Jurys Doyle had a quiet day as the market digested the latest twist in the battle to acquire its assets. The shares closed 10 cent lower at €17.75 following news that Sean Dunne has to sell at least two million shares to comply with Takeover Panel rules.

It yesterday also confirmed arrival of another property developer, Liam Carroll, on the register after he purchased up to 7 per cent of the group's shares.

The banks were quiet enough. AIB added two cent to €17.52 in thin volume. Bank of Ireland went 13 cent better to €12.93 while Anglo Irish Bank moved further below the €11 level shedding a further cent to €10.93. The ratings agency, Fitch, yesterday reaffirmed the bank's rating at long-term A and said the outlook remained stable.

Irish Life & Permanent, which will announce results next week, was down two cent at €15.

In terms of corporate news, Readymix announced the acquisition of SJ Martin Limited, a large operating quarry at Ballynahinch, Co Down, with a net asset value of approximately £1 million (€ 1.46 million.) Readymix shares were unchaged at €2.17.

Fyffes announced it will issue results on September 8th. Its shares were down two cent at €2.52 as the EU outlined details of its latest proposal on banana tariffs.

A previous proposal was recently dismissed by the World Trade Organisation as insufficient in the transatlantic trade spat.

Ryanair gained one cent to €6.52.