O2 A WINNER FROM GRAND SLAM - After the Irish rugby team's Six Nations Grand Slam, one company that is a clear winner is the sponsor of the Irish rugby team, O2.
O2 Ireland chief executive Danuta Gray said the company was 'thrilled' with the win. She said its sponsorship was a long-term one, and it had had a relationship with the IRFU for almost 13 years.
Asked what was in the deal for O2, Ms Gray said it was not just about having the brand on its shirt, but having a connection with something its customers cared about. She said 75,000 people had signed up for a campaign to get their names on the back of a team shirt, and as a result O2 was interacting with more people.
The current deal runs out at the end of the 2011/12 season, and Ms Gray said the company wanted to continue its relationship with the IRFU after that.
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NEWS AND CURRENCIES - House builder McInerney has reported pre-tax losses of €206.5m for last year, after a profit of €58m in 2007. The company has been badly hit by the slump in the Irish and UK housing markets.
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has announced a $500 billion programme to remove troubled assets from banks' balance sheets. In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal today, Mr Geithner said President Obama's administration had developed what it called a 'Public-Private Investment Programme'.
The plan will provide low-interest loans to private investors to encourage them to buy troubled mortgages and other loans. The Tokyo market loved it and it closed 3.4% higher.
On the currency markets, the euro is still trading high against the dollar with the euro buying $1.3683 and 93.92p sterling.
