ABN Amro has issued its list of stock tips for investors for 2001. Among the bigger stocks, the brokers are recommending are Elan, Bank of Ireland, Baltimore Technologies, Smartforce, Smurfit, Anglo Irish Bank and Galen. Among the smaller capitalised stocks, Jurys Doyle and Grafton are included. The broker has removed AIB from its key buy lists ahead of the fourth quarter results season, when the bank is expected to show a further deterioration in asset quality levels in the US.

This market accounts for 27 per cent of AIB's profits and a poor performance would hit the share price. Eircom has also been downgraded from a buy to an add, on the basis of a lower price being obtained for Eircell and reflecting its more cautious stance on the sector, particularly in the light of increasing debt levels.