DUBLIN REPORT: Iseq: 3,048.53 (+41.98) Settlement date: August 28th:AFTER BREAKING through the 3,000 mark on Monday for the first time since last November, the Iseq index of Irish shares built on those gains yesterday, rising 1.5 per cent to 3,048.53.

“It’s all about results this week,” one broker said yesterday, explaining that the barrage of interim results being published by Iseq-listed companies this week will drive much of the movement on the market.

Although results released yesterday by index bellwether CRH showed profits were down 82 per cent in the first half of the year, one broker noted that the results held “no real negative surprises”, as much of the bad news had already been flagged to the market.

Although it had lost ground on Monday, the building materials stock was back in favour yesterday, and closed up 1.6 per cent at €18.84.

Better-than-expected results from Kerry Group lifted the food stock as high as €18.45 at one point yesterday. However, it sold off a little into the close, leaving it at €18.05, still a gain on the day of more then 1 per cent.

The financials moved in line with international peers, trading flat to positive. Irish Life Permanent, which reports results today, proved to be the star performer, and closed just shy of €4 having gained almost 9 per cent.

Allied Irish Banks was pretty much flat on the day at just under €2.20, while Bank of Ireland marked up almost 2.5 per cent – or 5 cent – to finish at €2.18.

Glanbia gained almost 4 per cent at €2.70 as investors bought into the stock in advance of its interims out today.

Also reporting results today is bookmakers Paddy Power, which benefited from positive investor sentiment and climbed 3.4 per cent to €19.05, and FBD Holdings, which traded up by 10 cent – more than 1 per cent – to €7.70.