Archive for February 2020

Residential property prices posted their lowest annual growth in over six years in December, increasing by 0.9% after prices in Dublin fell for a fifth month in a row.  This is according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office today.  House prices have stabilised over the last year having increased sharply for five…

Euro zone manufacturing output plunged more than expected in December ending a weak quarter for the single currency area, official estimates showed today.  Industrial production fell 2.1% month-on-month in the euro zone, the EU statistics agency Eurostat said, in a slump that was worse than the 1.6% fall predicted by economists polled by Reuters.  Year-on-year,…

The Central Bank has said the economy is close to operating at full capacity and that any incoming government should follow a prudent fiscal policy and reduce the level of national debt. In its Quarterly Bulletin, the bank also highlights how exports of Irish goods are becoming increasingly concentrated in pharmaceuticals and computer processors. The economy…

The number of apartments built last year jumped by almost 60% compared to 2018, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. The CSO said a total of 3,644 apartments were built last year, up 59.6% on the figure of 2,283 for 2018.  When measured on a quarterly basis, the number of new apartments…

Shares on the Dublin market were lower today after Sinn Féin secured the highest percentage of the first preference vote in the weekend election.  The ISEQ index closed down 1.2%. The banks were all weaker with AIB end the day 5.4% lower, while Bank of Ireland sank 8.3% and Permanent TSB tumbled 11%. Investors fear a negative impact from Sinn…

Activity in the construction sector grew in January for the second month in a row, but the pace of growth slowed from December, a new survey shows.  The latest Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers Index showed a reading of 50.9 in January, above the 50 no-change mark again but down from 52 in December.  Ulster…

Investor morale in the euro zone fell for the first time in four months in February over fears that China will not be able to contain the coronavirus outbreak, a survey showed today.  Sentix’s index for the euro zone fell to 5.2 from 7.6 in January. The Reuters consensus forecast was for a fall to…

The sale of houses in commuter counties around Dublin increased by at least 5%, according to a study based on analysis of sales recorded in the Property Price Register. Eight Leinster counties recorded increases of at least 5% in the number of sales compared with 2018. The study, which was carried out by property website…

Oil prices edged down this morning but held recent ranges as traders assessed China’s oil demand following the coronavirus outbreak and awaited a decision by major producers to cut output further to balance markets. Oil is off more than 20% from peaks struck in January after a spreading virus hit demand in the world’s largest…

Shares on the Dublin market were lower this morning after Sinn Féin secured the highest percentage of the first preference vote in the weekend election.  The ISEQ index was down just over 1.1% in early trade. The banks were weaker with AIB losing 4.9%, while Bank of Ireland dropped 4.8% and Permanent TSB lost 1.7% in…