After three successive positive days the Irish market had a far tougher time today as financial stocks came under renewed pressure.
At 3.30pm the Iseq had recovered to stand down 2 per cent having earlier been down by 2.5 per cent.
Leading the fallers were AIB and Bank of Ireland, down 98 cents to €14.45 and 65 cents to €9.74 respectively. Not far behind were Irish Life & Permanent, down 50 cents at €14.65 and and Anglo Irish shares which were down 36 cents at €10.04.
Away from the financials there was little positive news. What there was came from CRH, which saw its shares back the trend and rise 21 cents to €24.45 and Kerry Group stocks which rose 42 cents to €20.55.