Market Report: The Irish stock market moved ahead yesterday, helped by good performances from a number of leading shares.

In the financial sector, Anglo Irish Bank stood out, adding 30 cents or 2 per cent to hit an all-time high of €15.15 as the bank raised €600 million in Tier One capital to fund future lending.

Meanwhile, AIB gave up four cents to €13.46 while Bank of Ireland closed unchanged at €11.34 ahead of its trading statement on Thursday.

Goodbody has issued "buy" recommendations on both stocks, arguing they should benefit from accelerating economic growth rates over the next three years. It has set a price target of €15.60 for AIB and €13.20 for Bank of Ireland.

It has placed "add" recommendations on Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent, with price targets of €16.70 and €13.20 respectively.

Other movers included drug company Warner Chilcott, which added €1.56 or 16 per cent to €11.13 in Dublin as the stock caught up with the gains logged in London on Monday after it announced it had received an approach from a consortium of private equity firms. In London, the shares added 2.7 per cent to close at 767.5p sterling.

Kerry had a good day, although volume was light with around 160,000 shares traded, as the stock added 38 cents or 2.2 per cent to €17.38.

Elsewhere in the food sector, IAWS gave up two cents to €10.33 despite expectations that it will report a strong set of results on Thursday.

Other gainers yesterday included DCC, which closed 28 cents or nearly 2 per cent higher at €14.62, and C&C, which added five cents to €2.50.

Tullow Oil benefited from recent positive comments about the level of proven and probable reserves at the M'Boundi oilfield in the Congo, adding seven cents or 3.5 per cent to reach €2.08 in Dublin.

Ulster Television, which reported good interim results earlier this week, gained 18 cents or 2.9 per cent to €6.30.

Settlement Day: September 24th