Iseq: 1,932.17 (-17.46) at 1.10pm:The Iseq index followed other markets in falling this morning after Japan's Nikkei index closed at a 26-year-low.
The benchmark Nikkei fell 87.07 points to 7,086.03, its lowest close since October 1982.
In Dublin, the Iseq index was down 17.46 points to 1,932.17 at 1.10pm.
Food group Aryzta, which today reported half-year pre-tax profits which were up 16 per cent to €1.57 billion, saw its shares rise be 67c to 16.92, while Origin
Enterprises, which is controlled by Aryzta, rose 15c to €1.49 after it said it was positive about its full-year prospects.
The company recorded a 30 per cent rise in revenue to €701.1 million while group operating profit increased 35 per cent to €27.2 million.
Pre-tax profits for the Irish food and agri-business group totalled €17 million for the six months to January 31st, up from €14.5 million a year earlier.
Shares in Irish Continental Group (ICG) were flat after it announced pre-tax profits which were up 6.6 per cent last year to €43 million.
The ferries group also said today that it had set a deadline of March 18th for the Moonduster consortium to bring froward an offer for ICG.
Elsewhere shares in oil and gas explorer Tullow rose by €1.18 to €8.69 after it said it had raised €2 billion in loans to fund developments. The company also announced a 'significant' discovery at the Tweneboa-1 exploration well off the shore of Ghana.
European shares fell with the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares down 2.3 per cent. The broader STOXX 600 was also down 2.4 per cent, hitting its lowest level since September 1996.
Meanwhile the FTSE-100 index was down 52.36 at 3478.37.0 Index.
