Donal O'Donovan

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has issued a preliminary assessment of the proposed transaction, not a final determination, so the parties involved now have the right to respond in writing, make oral submissions and get access to the CCPC’s file before a definitive ruling. The CCPC said it expects its full investigation will conclude no later than July 2025, which would be a full year after the sale was first flagged to officials.

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

Donal O’Donovan: Falling house prices would be welcome news for some, but may come with a sting in the tailHigh construction costs mean that new supply is extremely fragile. Stock imageAny prospect of a drop in house prices will be music to the ears of desperate renters but, unfortunately, past experience shows buying in a falling market tends to get harder, not easier. So what’s going on? To start with, it is worth saying that house prices right now are rising, not falling.

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

Vote in favour now looks unlikely in wake of the major fall in share priceIrish taxpayers look set to lose out on a €1.2bn AIB shares windfall next month as reaction by markets to Donald Trump’s tariffs sinks the lender’s share price to well below the minimum set for the sale.

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

Oil and gas prices fall as investors anticipate drop in demand for energyEuropean stocks suffered the biggest one-day fall since the Covid pandemic on Friday and oil prices fell to a level that reflects expectations for a collapse in industrial demand on the scale of global recession.

2 weeks ago | independent.ie | Donal O'Donovan

Donal O’Donovan: Plunging dollar tells it all – the US is heading for a crash and taking Ireland with it US president has kicked off global trade war – and Ireland will have to take sidesDonald Trump makes tariffs announcement including 25pc on auto importsWatch the dollar. It isn’t so much the canary in the coal mine as it is the tightening in the miner’s lungs. The greenback strengthened when Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico.