Donal O'Donovan

1 week ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

Markets continue to tread water as crisis in Middle East hangs in the balanceAnalysis by Bloomberg showed 42 to 45 large oil tankers sailed through the Strait on average in the last seven days. Photo: BloombergOil prices dipped on Friday after US president Donald Trump held off on a decision over involving the US military in the Israel-Iran conflict. Oil prices are up on the week, though nowhere near as dramatically as might have been expected. On Friday Brent crude fell 2.9pc to $76.56 per barrel.

1 week ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

The inaugural North–South Business Cooperation Awards aim to celebrate and support cross-border entrepreneurship and encourage start-ups on the island of Ireland. A total prize fund of €500,000 will be awarded to 18 entrepreneurs, across nine teams, who have started businesses registered in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland within the past five years and are now trading cross-border. The winner of the largest Gold Award will receive €150,000.

1 week ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

Promoting Irish dairy is made far harder by society’s ongoing move from the land, something CEO Emma Walls is very aware ofEmma Walls is an “imposter,” she admits. The chief executive officer at the National Dairy Council (NDC) has no background in farming – and is in fact a bona fide city slicker. “Even my grandparents were Dubs,” she admits. But Walls describes herself as being dairy-obsessed, having held senior roles at Glenisk – one of the country’s most dynamic dairy ventures.

1 week ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

Oil volatility could affect ECB rate cuts, warns French bank chiefMarkets relatively stable despite Israel-Iran unrestFrancois Villeroy de Galhau, governor of the Bank of France. Photo: Nathan Laine/BloombergThe European Central Bank (ECB) needs to assess fluctuations in oil prices and the euro as it sets borrowing costs, according to Governing Council member Francois Villeroy de Galhau.

1 week ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

The cap was removed from Bank of Ireland in 2023, after the State sold the last if its stake in the lender. The cap will now be scrapped at both AIB and Permanent TSB. The decision comes immediately after the sale of a final 2pc stake in AIB. Taxpayers still own 57pc of PTSB but the decision has been made to extend the end of pay restrictions there in order to provide a level playing field.