With equity markets recovering slightly - at least for the present - share prices were generally firmer yesterday. Financial stocks continued to press ahead in sizeable volumes, with financial shares rising by 2 per cent. The ISEQ overall index was up more than 1 per cent, moving to within 100 points of its October 6th all-time high.

The biggest volume among the financials was in AIB, in which 1.8 million shares traded in Dublin and 1.5 million in London. The share dealt up 31 cents to €12.19. Bank of Ireland was 18 cents higher on €8.30, while Anglo Irish gained three cents to €2.51 in turnover of more than 1.8 million shares.

Irish Life & Permanent eased three cents to €11.55. Fidelity, the Boston investment group, has emerged as a big buyer recently, taking its stake from 5 per cent a month ago to more than 8 per cent. Fidelity is obviously a big fan of Irish Life; it was below the 3 per cent disclosure level as recently as last March.

Industrials were generally firmer, with CRH bouncing back from recent heavy losses with a 50-cent rise to €17.05. Eircom was five cents firmer on €2.80. Dunloe was unchanged on 50 cents on turnover of a little more than a million shares amid speculation that Mr Liam Carroll is continuing to snap up any loose stock on the market. Green gained 15 cents to €7.15 in thin turnover as the market waited to see whether Treasury Holdings would come back with a firm offer.

Technology shares were mixed on the various overseas markets. Iona was the best performer, trading almost 6 per cent higher in midday Nasdaq trading.