ISE expects up to five new listings in 2004
The Irish Stock Exchange’s Chief Executive Tom Healy has said that he expects three to five new companies to be listed this year.
Healy was speaking as the ISE announced strong growth in equity trading volumes last year with the value of shares traded up 10% to €77.5bn.
The companies already listed on the ISE raised €749m in share issues during 2003. Healy also announced that specialist debt business continued to forge ahead with 305 new entities listed in 2003 while Investment fund listings grew by 12%. Shares in Builders materials group Heitons closed down 5c at €4.30.
Earlier the company announced figures broadly in line with analysts’ expectations. Pre-tax profits before exceptionals rose to €15m in the six months to October 2003 and turnover increased 4% to €255.5m. Shares in the company closed down 5c at €4.30.
Clinical research company ICON posted healthy Q2 data which saw net revenues increase by 37% to $73.2m (€57.49m) with income from operations up 33% over the same period to $8.4m (€6.59m). Its stock, which trades on both the Nasdaq and ISEQ remained steady on the Dublin market at
€33.25.
Shares in Fruit importers Fyffes were up 2c and closed at €1.73 on Tuesday. A statement from the company this morning said that it had been awarded the European Retailers Environmental Protocol (EUREP) accreditation.
Food group Greencore was buoyed by the news that one of its biggest customers, Tesco Ireland, announced a 7.5% like-for-like sales growth over the Christmas period. Shares in Greencore closed up 4c at €3.51.
