IRISH shares rose slightly yesterday, as traders continued to drift back after the Christmas break.

A day after reopening with a loss, the ISEQ Overall Index closed up 0.06pc, or 1.59 points, at 2,845.26.

On another day of light volumes, the index spent much of the session in negative territory before an afternoon rally pushed it higher.

There was little direction in the market, with no one sector in particular standing out, although food companies had a decent day. Greencore climbed 2.48pc to reach 62c.

Speciality baker Aryzta added 1.89pc to close at €36.63 while cider maker C&C was up 2.86pc at €2.88. Construction giant CRH rose 1.3pc to €14.83.

Elsewhere, European stocks advanced for the fourth time in five days as business activity in the US expanded more than forecast.

National benchmark indices advanced in 11 of the 18 western European markets yesterday. Germany's DAX rose 0.5pc, while France's CAC 40 added 0.6pc.