The head of ABN Amro's equity research division in Dublin, Mr John Clarke, is to leave the company. Mr Clarke is the second high-profile researcher to leave ABN Amro in recent months and follows the departure of chief economist Dr Dan McLaughlin to Bank of Ireland.

Mr Clarke said yesterday he had no immediate plans to take up another position but had decided that, after 11 years in equity research with ABN Amro, he wanted a change.