SIX Irish companies are included in the Financial Times European Top 500 Companies, with Kerry Group joining the elite list for the first time.

The FT based its ranking on stock market capitalisation in dollars at the end of 1996, and on this basis AIB is the top ranked Irish company in 231st position, a fractional improvement on its 232nd position in 1995.

CRH nudged out Bank of Ireland as the second ranked Irish company in the FT list. CRH jumped from 319th position in 1995 to 239th last year while Bank of Ireland jumped 22 places from 262nd to 240th.

Smurfit was the only Irish company to fall in the rankings from 242nd to 305th. But one of the biggest jumps of any company on the list was notched up by Elan which moved to 319th position from 490th in 1995. Kerry made its debut on the Top 500 at 441st position.