Market Report: The market failed to take off yesterday, closing 0.5 per cent down on the previous session. The banks held up quite well against this backdrop, with healthy volumes in evidence across the sector.

Settlement Date: January 26th

AIB closed unchanged at €15.50 after hitting €15.60 earlier in the session. Bank of Ireland rose by eight cents to €12.33 as almost three million shares changed hands.

Anglo Irish, which holds its annual general meeting next Friday, shed two cents to close at €19.20.

More volatile than most was Irish Life & Permanent, which touched a high of €14.70 before coming all the way back to close at €14.30, down five cents on the day.

Jurys Doyle put in another good performance, with shares climbing by 35 cents to €13.15. Jurys has now risen by almost 25 per cent since the start of September last year.

Another winner on the day was Paddy Power, which rose by 15 cents to €11.75.

Fyffes had another busy day, with some 3.5 million shares traded. The stock closed unchanged at €2.01.

Elan responded negatively to news of possible future competition for its Tysabri drug in the multiple sclerosis market. After selling off in New York overnight, the stock fell by €1.05 to €20.80 in Dublin.

Iona won back its Thursday losses, closing 25 cents higher at €4.25. The firm was upgraded by most Dublin brokers in the wake of Thursday's encouraging results.

CRH was in sluggish form yesterday, falling 10 cents to €20.70. Fellow market heavyweight Ryanair was up three cents at €5.78.

Kerry Group was quiet after announcing its €20 million investment in China. Shares fell by seven cents to €18.08.

Glanbia was also in negative territory at the close, finishing four cents lower at €2.96. IAWS fell by six cents to €12.24.

The only food stock in the black was Greencore, one cent stronger at €3.26.