Waterford Wedgwood shares slip on debt nerves

Market Report: Activity in the market stepped up a notch yesterday as positive US jobs figures offered some encouragement to nervous investors. Shares in Dublin failed to catch the best of the global upswing however, with the ISEQ's defensive face limiting gains to 0.7 per cent.

Waterford Wedgwood attracted most of the early attention, with news of debt restrictions and money-raising efforts taking 14 per cent off the company's shares at the open. The stock eventually closed three cents lower at 26 cents after finding some support at the lower level. Five million shares were traded.

The financials had a healthier day, with AIB rising 22 cents to 12.60 and Bank of Ireland closing five cents stronger at 10.30. Both stocks saw trade of more than three million shares.

Anglo Irish added seven cents to close at 9.46, having begun the week at 9.28. Irish Life & Permanent was less firm, recording a drop of five cents to close at 11.20.

Among smaller stocks, Horizon dropped four cents to 65 cents after seeing unusually heavy trade of 1.7 million shares, all of which was attributable to one seller.

Abbey rose by 15 cents to 6.40 after delivering a positive a.g.m. statement.

At the other end of the capitalisation scale, CRH climbed 32 cents to 15.52 as the company's dollar exposure became less of a concern.

Encouraging UK merchanting figures helped Grafton to rise two cents to 4.87, but competing firm Heiton fared less well, closing three cents lower at 3.32.

Elan was 15 cents stronger at 4.65 after receiving a small boost in US legal proceedings over patents to a genetically-modified mouse.