Bank of Ireland was one of the biggest gainers on the Dublin market on a day when the Government unveiled the Nama Bill.
Brokers reported a lot of buying interest in the bank today, and volumes were more than double the three-month average for the stock. It finished at almost €2.46, a gain of more than 10 per cent. Volumes in Allied Irish Banks (AIB) were also heavy, although the buying pressure wasn't as strong. The stock moved up 1.3 per cent to close at €2.34.
Kerry Group also continued on its upwards trajectory. After tentatively breaking through the €20 mark in recent days, the food group is now being picked up on investors' radars, which is adding to the positive momentum surrounding the stock, according to brokers. It closed at €21 today, a gain of 5 per cent, or €1.
Cement giant CRH is due to enter the Eurostoxx 50 index later this month, and as a result investors have been buying into the stock in the expectation of a lift in the share price. However there was an element of profit-taking today, and the stock drifted down by 1 per cent - or 26 cent - to €18.49.
Among the minnow stocks, UTV Media gained almost 13 per cent on the London Stock Exchange. This had a knock-on effect on TVC Holdings which owns a significant stake in UTV - it bounced almost 9 per cent on the Dublin market to just under 60 cent.
Overall, the Iseq index was up almost 13 points at 3,188.90.
Across Europe, the FTSE 100 index was down 0.3 per cent, Germany's DAX was up 0.4 per cent and France's CAC 40 was down 0.01 per cent.
(Additional reporting - Reuters)