More and more investors are seeing the current meltdown in world stock markets as an opportunity to pick up bargains. In Dublin, during the first week of the sharp falls in the ISEQ share index, stockbrokers claim the ratio of buyers to sellers was three to one. Last week this increased to eight to one with dealers reporting their highest ever level of enquiries.

Some are getting into the market for the first time. Others may have taken profits on their holdings earlier this year and are now putting their funds back into the market, or may be just topping up their portfolio.

In the Dublin market investors are scrambling after stocks such as Anglo Irish Bank, AIB, Waterford Wedgwood, Heiton, Independent, Kingspan and the beleaguered Smurfit, all of which have taken a hefty tumble on the back of the uncertainties.

FEXCO is one of the stockbrokers which is particularly attractive to small investors offering a minimum charge of £12.50 - well below the commissions charged at the major brokers - and accepting a minimum investment of £500.

If you have a spare £1,000 earning an all time low level of interest in a deposit account it might be worth investing it in one of these heavily discounted shares. FEXCO advises that any such investments should be made for between 12 months and 18 months at the minimum and if the market recovers strongly you should get a decent return. The downside is that money on deposit is safe while there is no guarantee that you will make money in the stock market.