Iseq index sustains further losses

The Iseq has made a slight recovery this afternoon after sustaining earlier losses of 1.5 per cent on Friday's close.

The Iseq has made a slight recovery this afternoon after sustaining earlier losses of 1.5 per cent on Friday's close.

At 15.35, the index stood at 8,264.13 down 93.27 points, a slight recovery from the -145.71 point-low reached earlier this afternoon.

Today's poor performance follows last week's losses of €8.6 billion..

Last week's trading left some traders panicked, it was reported. Ryanair fell 3.05 per cent at €4.615 and Anglo Irish Bank down 3.90 per cent or €0.53 at €13.050 per share.

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The fall followed an earlier increase where the Iseq was quoted at 9.30am at 8363.82, up 6.42 on Friday's close, as hopes remained high of increases on the back of Ryanair and AIB first-quarter and interim results, which are due this week.

However, by 10am, the exchange had fallen back to 8352.30, a drop of 5.10. Since then, the index has sustained a sharp fall with more negativity on the exchange with individual investors selling up.

Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 share index rose in choppy trade today as merger activity and stronger company results offset persistent concerns over interest rates and credit markets.

Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 was up 5.5 points at 10.13 am, or 0.09 per cent at 6,220.7 points. The UK benchmark index has lost 5.9 per cent so far this month, its heaviest monthly loss since January 2003, and is flat on the year so far.

Fears that a rise in defaults on US subprime mortgage loans could spiral into a broader financial crunch have worried financial markets since mid-June.