The company was due to deliver "rst-quarter results last week but postponed at the last minute as a result of what it described as an "ongoing independent investigation" into the claims. The "rst-quarter numbers will be delivered this week along with an update on the enquiry.

Xilinx is one of 85 companies under investigation by the SEC for allegedly granting back-dated options which would effectively be in the money as soon as they were granted, substantially boosting their value. Xilinx could not confirm at time of going to press whether any of the option schemes under investigation involved staff based in Ireland.

AIRTRICITY has appointed three lead arrangers for its planned $500m financing mandate for 2007.

The wind energy firm, a subsidiary of NTR, said last week that Bayerische Landesbank, acting through its New York Branch, Bayerische Hypo-und Vereinsbank, and Norddeutsche Landesbank will be lead arrangers with respect to up to $175m in turbine purchase credit loans and letters of credit, up to $500m in construction/equity bridge loans and letters of credit with respect to the construction of wind farm projects to be built in 2007 in the US, and up to $180m in term loans to be used to refinance in part the construction loans on the 2007 wind farm projects.

Airtricity expects to finance a portion of the remaining costs of constructing the 2007 wind farms by accessing the US tax equity financing market Airtricity intends to develop and construct wind farm projects in the US in 2007 with an aggregate expected capacity of up to 400 megawatts. Airtricity is currently completing construction on its first two wind farm projects in the US, both in Texas. The capacity of these two wind farms is 215 megawatts.

FUTURA, the Spanish charter airline in which Aer Lingus has a 20% stake, has signed a deal to acquire three Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a list price of $210m.

The carrier took options on another three aircraft.

The new airplanes, scheduled for delivery in 2009 and 2010, are for fleet growth to expand services.

Futura currently operates a fleet of 24 aircraft.

GOODBODY STOCKBROKERS

expanded its private clients department, appointing Accenture vet David Lambe as director of portfolio business and HOK investors MD Michael Moriarty as senior wealth management executive. The group recently completed several highpro"le property deals including a new sports injuries clinic in Santry, offering a tax incentive opportunity, which raised equity of 12m; a joint venture with Taggart which raised 16m for residential property development in Belfast; and the Goodbody Northern Ireland Property Fund which raised 40m.

RTE secured the UK Premiership football highlights for the 2007/2008 to the 2009/2010 seasons. It will come as some compensation for losing out on broadcast rights to Setanta and BSkyB earlier this summer. Terms were not disclosed.