Elan and Paddy Power lead Iseq lower

Iseq: 2,163.06 (-19.30) at 2.30 pm: The Iseq followed other European markets down today led by Elan and Paddy Power.

Iseq: 2,163.06 (-19.30) at 2.30 pm:The Iseq followed other European markets down today led by Elan and Paddy Power.

Shares in Athlone-based drug firm Elan were down 46c to €5.18 losing much of the gains it achieved this week after news emerged of a possible treatment for a potentially fatal side effect of its multiple sclerosis therapy, Tysabri.

Paddy Power meanwhile was down 30c at €12.05 while Kerry Group shares declined 20c to €14.15.

On a lacklustre day in which volumes traded remained low, there was little to get excited about.

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Banks put in a mixed performance with Bank of Ireland, which is meeting today to vote on the Government's recapitalisation plan down 1c at €0.51. AIB was down 2c at E0.62 while Irish Life & Permanent was up 6c at €1.21.

Among construction-related shares, heavyweight CRH was flat at €16.20 while McInerney gained 1c to €0.09 and Kingspan was down 6c to €2.72.

European shares were down around midday as banks and energy majors fell, offsetting gains made by the automobile sector.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares was down 0.3 per cent at 743.04 points after trading in a range of 740.04-747.30 points.

The benchmark index is down about 10.6 percent in 2009, but has risen 15.3 per cent since reaching a floor on March 9th, and is on track to record gains for a third straight week.

Across Europe, the FTSE 100 index was flat, Germany's DAX was down 0.5 per cent and France's CAC 40 was down 0.6 per cent.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist