Market Report: Irish stocks rose for a third session on the day before the bank holiday weekend, with financial and construction shares pushing up the benchmark index to a near three-week high. The Iseq climbed 37.87 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 7,679.02, the highest closing price since May 16th.

The index, though, came off its intra-day high of 7,705.14 amid mixed views of reports from the US that showed employers added the lowest number of workers to payrolls in seven months and that wage growth had cooled. The figures increased the chances that the Federal Reserve won't raise interest rates this month, economists said. The dollar, meanwhile, weakened against the euro following the reports.

Financial stocks continued to lead the gains in Dublin, with Irish Life & Permanent rising 64 cent, or 3.4 per cent, to €19.45. Shares of Anglo Irish Bank increased eight cent, or 0.7 per cent, to €12.20, while FBD Holdings advanced 40 cent, or 1.1 per cent, to close at €36.

"There was decent two-way business in all the financials. It was great for business but there was nothing stock specific out there," a dealer said.

Traders also said that construction-related shares benefited from speculation about takeovers in the industry after McCarthy & Stone, Britain's largest retirement-home developer, said it had received approaches that may lead to a takeover offer.

Shares of Abbey rose 16 cent, or 1.6 per cent, to €10.35, while heavyweight CRH gained 15 cent, or 0.6 per cent, to €25.90. Grafton Group climbed 22 cent, or 2.1 per cent, to €10.53, and Readymix ended the day up 4 cent, or 1.7 per cent, at €2.35.

Ryanair shares, meanwhile, followed their European counterparts higher yesterday after the price of jet fuel in north-western Europe extended declines in spot trading. Travel stocks posted the biggest gains in the Stoxx 600 groups.

The Irish airline is due to report full-year earnings next week.