SURVEY POINTS TO 'MODEST' RECOVERY - The signals from the summer business sentiment survey from KBC Bank and the Chartered Accountants of Ireland point towards positive growth in gross national product - the economy without the help of the multi-nationals - for the second three months of the year.
KBC economist Austin Hughes said its survey looked at conditions across different sectors of the economy. He said it was encouraging that more businesses said that things improved for them in the second quarter, though this was not shared among all sectors.
Mr Hughes said the survey hinted at a broader improvement in manufacturing and business services, after what he called a 'statistical' recovery in the official figures in Q1.
But the economist said any recovery was modest, with little hiring and no feelgood factor just yet.
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NEWS IN BRIEF AND CURRENCIES - Building materials group Grafton has said its trading profits for the first half of this year were ahead of the same period last year, with profits recovering strongly in the second quarter.
The euro is trading at $1.2554 and 83.81p sterling.
