MARKET REPORT: The Irish market again took its direction from outside the country yesterday as a dearth of internal corporate news failed to provide any guidance.

Overall, sentiment remained negative despite better-than-expected inflation numbers in the US, though things did rebound slightly towards the end of the day. Concerns about the outlook continue to dominate feeling, one trader said.

The financials were the busiest stocks of the day, with Allied Irish leading the way, ending the day down 7 cent, to €17.10.

Bank of Ireland dropped 4 cent, to close at €12.71, while Anglo, which has outperformed its peers during the week, slipped 3 cent, to €11.27.

Irish Life & Permanent failed to buck the downward trend, falling 12 cent, to €14.88.

C&C, one of the week's biggest success stories, finished the week among the decliners, after its positive cider story failed to lift the drinks and snacks maker's stock out of the general negative market sentiment.

The shares closed down 3 cent, at €5.39. As many as 2.64 million shares changed hands, double the three-month daily average.

Elsewhere building materials group CRH continued its decline, falling 13 cent, to close at €21.76.

Paddy Power dropped 18 cent, to end the day at €14.62.

Jurys Doyle was one of the few positive stories of the day, with the hotelier's stock ending up 5 cent, at €19.15.

A spokesman for JDH Acquisitions, the consortium that on Wednesday made a bid to buy the company, said yesterday it had "effective control" of the group with more than 50 per cent of its stock.

Volumes were light, with only 68,518 shares changing hands.

Ryanair also ended the day higher, up 5 cent, at €6.75.

The airline said it plans to appeal a ruling by the High Court that the Labour Court should be allowed to investigate complaints by its pilots.