Leading stocks lose ground with CRH the biggest loser

Settlement Date: May 30th: Some of Dublin's leading stocks gave up ground yesterday as the index slipped half a percentage point.

Trade picked up again with British and US traders back at their desks following a bank holiday. Prices were weaker in the morning across Europe although they picked up later in the day.

The biggest loser in Dublin was CRH, which is being undermined by concern about the falling dollar and its impact on the group's dollar-denominated profits. CRH gave up 45 cents or 3.44 per cent to €12.64.

The main financial shares were also knocked back a little with AIB dropping 20 cents to €13.30 on the session while rival Bank of Ireland slipped four cents to €11.20. Anglo Irish Bank was three cents ahead at €7.23 while Irish Life & Permanent gained five cents to €10.40. First Active was six cents weaker at €7.54

The busiest stock on the day was again Independent News & Media, which has seen substantial trade in recent weeks. More than 7.8 million shares in Independent traded at prices between €1.42 and €1.45 before the share closed one cent ahead at €1.45.

Greencore, which delivered healthy growth fuelled by its convenience food business, was also in demand with overseas buyers among those coming in to buy the stock, which moved ahead 10 cents to €2.90 in volume of more than a quarter of a million shares.

Ryanair saw reasonably heavy trade, closing 15 cents stronger at €5.73, despite losing out to Aer Lingus in the annual awards presentation on Monday.

Elsewhere in the second-liners, Fyffes added 10 cents to €1.53 and Kingspan was up one cent on €2.26.