Firmer overseas stock markets helped Irish share prices to press ahead modestly, with most of the gains notched up by financial stocks.

After its half-year results, Bank of Ireland edged ahead seven cents to €9.92 against a background of conflicting reviews from Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. Goldman Sachs put an "outperform" tag on the shares and raised its price target from €10 to €10.60, while Deutsche put a price target of just €8.70 on the shares. Take your pick!

Irish Life & Permanent slipped 18 cents to €12.36 after disclosing that it bought back another 780,000 shares at €12.50. Irish Life & Permanent has now completed its buyback programme, having spent about €150 million repurchasing 9.4 million shares, or 4.4 per cent of the issued capital. Other financials were firmer, with AIB 15 cents higher on €10.35 - while Anglo Irish gained 13 cents to €3.60.

Independent saw heavy trading, and almost 5.5 million shares changed hands as the stock gained 12 cents to €1.75. There was also heavy turnover in Ryanair, where 4.5 million shares dealt in Dublin as the stock lost 20 cents to €12.55. Later on Nasdaq, Ryanair traded almost $2 lower, with over 3.5 million ADSs - equivalent to 14 million ordinary shares - having been dealt by midday.

CRH lost 21 cents to €17.50 and Greencore was eight cents firmer on €2.55, while Irish Continental was 25 cents higher on €5.65 as Canada Life emerged with a 3.7 per cent disclosable stake. The main highlight on Nasdaq was continued big gains by Smartforce, which was trading more than $2.75 higher by midday, above $23. The shares are now almost 30 per cent higher on the start of the week.