Market Report: Trading slowed down yesterday following a Jurys-induced busy day on Thursday, with little to give direction to the market.

Dealers are hoping the sluggish days of summer trading have now come to an end with people returning to work from the traditional August holiday period and company news starting to pick up next week. Volumes across the board were light, leaving the Iseq marginally up on the day.

Elan was the weakest stock, dropping 14 cent to end the week at €6.66 after Morgan Stanley put out a report questioning the drug company's ability to bring Tysabri back to market. The multiple sclerosis drug was withdrawn in February after being linked to the deaths of some of its trial patients.

Elsewhere, C&C lost 3 cent to end the day at €4.13, despite the release of yet another report saying that Magners, the company's cider brand in the UK, was trading well in Scotland and London.

The financials were mixed, preventing them from giving any particular direction to the market. AIB and Irish Life & Permanent were among the losers, dropping 8 cent and 10 cent respectively, while Anglo gained 8 cent to close at €11.10 and Bank of Ireland rose 4 cent to €12.82.

CRH was also among the gainers, adding 10 cent to end the day at €22.03 after its recent decline helped attract some support from investors.

Ryanair struggled to find much support, closing down 6 cent at €6.59. Dealers linked the decline to the continuing fluctuation in the oil price and one said the stock is unlikely to find much direction until closer to its interim results in November.

Jurys Doyle recovered some of Thursday's losses, adding 5 cent to close at €17.05, although a lack of new details regarding any possible bid for the hotelier left volumes subdued.

Waterford Wedgewood was unchanged even after its new chief executive bought 13 million shares in the company.

Settlement Day: August 31st