Shares on the Dublin exchange gained 0.57 per cent yesterday with drug company Elan and tech firms Horizon and ITG leading the way.
But a five-month high on London's key FTSE 100 index failed to lift Dublin stocks significantly in what one dealer described as a mixed day's trading.
General stocks gained 0.96 per cent although financials finished 0.6 per cent weaker after the European Central Bank increased its base interest rate by a quarter of 1 per cent. AIB finished 10 cents weaker at €9.31, while Bank of Ireland lost two cents to close at €6.65 and Irish Life & Permanent closed at €9.70, 5 cents weaker on the day.
Elan gained 2.31 per cent to close €1.50 stronger at €66.50. The stock has been boosted by optimism surrounding its development programme for a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and sectoral strength among health stocks in the US.
Horizon gained 5.32 per cent to close 50 cents stronger at €9.90 after a strong inflow of funds into its sector in Britain.
ITG, which reported the acquisition of a Dutch firm, Getrontics Transaction and Card Systems for €4.38 million, closed 35 cents stronger at €9.60. "It's the first sign that they're doing what they said they would do," said a trader of the telecoms and IT group.
Among the financials, First Active eased slightly after gains a day earlier when it sold 60 per cent of its British mortgage business. The stock closed two cents weaker at €2.01 and a trader said the mortgage lender was trading at a 60 per cent discount to its book value. Meanwhile, Anglo Irish Bank closed four cents stronger at €2.20.
Among the front-liners, CRH eased 10 cents to close at €18.82 while Eircom closed unchanged at €2.37. Smurfit nudged back a little after declining a day earlier - the stock closed three cents stronger at €2.18.
