Ryanair lowest since February 2017

RYANAIR shares lost another 3.45pc yesterday amid ongoing industrial relations turbulence. At €14 each, the shares posted their lowest closing price since February 2017 in Dublin trading.

On Monday the airline said it expected further strikes this summer. Pilots picketed Ryanair headquarters in Dublin again yesterday.

The fall was offset, however, by gains elsewhere, with the ISEQ index of Irish shares rising 0.3pc yesterday to close at 6885.64.

Bank of Ireland performed strongly with a 3.65pc rise, while the heavily-weighted CRH helped drag the index up in rising just under 1pc.

US equity benchmarks gave up some early gains but remained mostly higher on the day in afternoon trading, bolstered by Google parent Alphabet and energy companies, while China’s efforts to support its economy spurred interest in higher-risk assets across Asia.

The S&P 500 Index rose Tuesday on the back of another batch of strong earnings results. Alphabet anchored the market’s advance after it beat analysts’ estimates.

Exxon Mobil and Chevron also gained. The Nasdaq 100 Index pulled back after reaching a record intraday high.

Carmakers and banks were among the biggest winners in the Stoxx Europe 600 Index, as PSA Group said subsidiary Opel turned a profit and lender UBS Group posted better-than-forecast results. Sterling climbed after Prime Minister Theresa May took control of Brexit talks.

Shares in Asia rallied on news China will increase infrastructure spending and take other measures to bolster growth, with the Shanghai Composite Index posting the biggest three-day rally in two years.