Ladbrokes reveals Champions League boost
English clubs' dominance of the Uefa Champions League today helped bookmaker Ladbrokes to post better-than-expected trading figures.

Dow Jones up
NEW YORK: The Dow Jones closed up 94.3 at 12992.7.

Upbeat statement from Avis
Car rentals company Avis has issued an upbeat interim statement this morning, saying revenue was ahead in all customer groups and in all major markets excluding Spain for the first four months of the year.

Datalex revenues 'on target'
Travel distribution software company Datalex has said trading for the first four months of this year was in line with expectations, generating $11m (€7m) in revenue.

Walsh turns down BA bonus despite 45% profits jump
BA chief executive Willie Walsh said that he would not be taking his company bonus because of the Heathrow fiasco - despite the announcement of £883m (€1.1bn) in pre-tax profits today.

BA reveals €1.1bn profits
British Airways made pre-tax profits of £883m (€1.1bn) for the year to March 31, up 45% on the previous year. Staff will share a £35m (€44m) bonus, the airline said.

UN: World economy 'teetering on brink of downturn'
The United Nations said today the world economy was “teetering on the brink” of a severe downturn and would grow by only 1.8% this year.

Wall Street on the rise
The US stock market notched its second straight daily advance today, with investors encouraged by a pull-back in oil prices and some better-than-expected economic data.

ISEQ on the up
The ISEQ index of Irish shares was up today, climbing 31.67 points to 6,424.17.

Blue chips hold back FTSE
Blue chip banks suffered heavy losses on the London market today as fresh fears over Barclays’ balance sheet put the sector under pressure.