Irish factory activity lost some momentum in August with growth in output, new orders, exports and purchasing all lower than the previous month, a survey showed today. The AIB IHS Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 62.8 in August. This marked the fourth highest reading since the survey began in 1998 but lower…

There’s been a general welcome for the measures announced by the Taoiseach about the next phase of reopening of the economy and society. Business group Ibec said the announcement provided clarity on the timeline for a phased and safe return to offices. The roadmap would provide added momentum to what has already been a very…

The Restaurants Association gave a cautious welcome to the Taoiseach’s announcement on the easing of Covid restrictions. Chief executive Adrian Cummins said the measures went a long way towards outlining a roadmap for the sector with the provision of key dates, metrics and targets. However, he said there was more work to be done regarding…

The Government has reduced its stake in Bank of Ireland by a percentage point. In a statement to the stock exchange, Bank of Ireland said the percentage of its voting rights owned by the Government through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) has decreased from 12.98% to 11.97%. The percentage of voting rights in the…

Around three in ten workers surveyed by recruitment website Indeed said they were open to new employment opportunities but are not actively looking. The survey showed that 7% of workers said they were urgently looking for a new post while around half said they were not searching for a new role. Indeed said this suggests…

Just over 53,500 mortgages to the value of almost €13.2 billion were approved in Ireland in the 12 months to the end of July, according to Banking and Payments Federation Ireland. That represented an increase in approval volumes of just over 3% compared to the 12 months to the end of June, while the value…

Issues relating to faulty goods and services topped the list of queries to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in the first six months of this year. There was a steep rise in the number of queries relating to audio-visual and electronic goods and a corresponding fall in travel-related queries. The Consumer Contacts Report details…

90% of Irish IT security experts say they have seen a rise in disruptive cyberattacks in the last year, a new survey has found. The study also found that just 30% felt that their executive management fully understands the value and needs of the cyber security teams, compared to 42% globally. More than half of…

Irish consumer sentiment improved marginally in August while confidence dipped in the US, UK and euro area. The latest consumer sentiment index from KBC Bank Ireland increased to 86.5 in August from 84.9 in July. That saw the sentiment index largely – but not entirely – reversing July’s drop from the two-year high of 87.2…

The vacancy rate in commercial properties around Ireland remained relatively steady in the second quarter of 2021. According to the latest GeoView Commercial Vacancy Rates Report from EY for GeoDirectory, out of a total commercial property stock of 211,739 units in Ireland, 28,831 were classified as vacant in June this year. This resulted in a…