AIB in Goodbody talks, the rise of online shopping and post-Covid boom

AIB is in exclusive talks to buy back Goodbody Stockbrokers for a multiple of the €24 million it was forced to sell the firm for a decade ago under a restructuring tied to its taxpayer bailout. Joe Brennan has the details.

Aer Lingus has applied for slots at Manchester Airport as it continues to consider launching transatlantic services from Britain next year, writes Barry O'Halloran.

In Agenda, Mark Paul finds out online shopping has accelerated due to the pandemic.

Coca Cola paid a tax rate of just 1.4 per cent in Ireland in 2007-2009 on operating profits of $2 billion-$2.5 billion per annum, according to a judgment published by the US tax court this week. Cliff Taylor reports.

Aryzta chief executive Kevin Toland steps down

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Arthritis drug offers hope for severely ill Covid patients

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Smurfit Kappa raises €660m in share sale amid surge in ecommerce

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European stocks decline on global virus worries

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Level 5 has drawn Irish viewers back to television and video-on-demand with live TV viewership up 6 per cent year-on-year and streaming activity also swelling, according to a new report from marketing group Core. Laura Slattery parses the figures.

Developer Pat Crean's Marlet Property Group has secured its first financing facility with State-backed lender Activate Capital. Ronald Quinlan reports.

State-backed lender Microfinance Ireland (MFI) has granted repayment moratoriums and/or restructured loans for over 70 per cent of business customers since the coronavirus pandemic hit, writes Charlie Taylor.

Glenveagh Properties co-founder and former chief executive Justin Bickle has lured one of the key figures he brought into the housebuilding company before its 2017 stock market flotation to join him in his latest venture. Joe Brennan reports.

By 2030, the electricity system on the island of Ireland will be 40 per cent larger in capacity but emit half the carbon emissions of today, according to a report on how the power network will look in coming decades, writes Kevin O'Sullivan.

In his weekly column John FitzGerald argues that the post-Covid spending boom could fast-track recovery.

Anthony McDonnell asks how can companies promote talent if they can't agree on what that is?

Olive Keogh finds that we have much to learn from our hunter gatherer ancestors.

Caveat thinks that when it comes to reopening in December we must collectively hold our nerve.

In our Inside Business podcast we look at the companies who have developed vaccines so far, what they mean for the pharma industry and what they mean for the economy. Ciarán Hancock talks to Ian Hunter, equity analyst with Canton Fitzgerald and Dominic Coyle of The Irish Times. Plus: Naomi O'Leary on Brexit talks. What are the barriers to a last-minute deal?

Irish people do very well in the US, says casting specialist Christine McKenna-Tirella in Wild Geese, but they could learn from the Americans and be less modest?

Applications for The Irish Times Innovation Awards for 2020 are now invited. The awards will recognise innovations and bright ideas brought to market between January 1st, 2019 and May 30th of this year, across five categories. It's free to enter so check it out.

For all information on the Top 1000 Irish companies go to irishtimes.com/top1000.

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