Netherlands stocks finished the trading session lower on Wednesday, with the AEX index closing down 0.49% in Amsterdam. The pullback followed losses in several sector groups, led by Basic Materials, Financials and Industrials.
Market movers
Among individual names on the AEX, Shell PLC (SHEL) was one of the stronger performers, advancing 1.64% - up 0.61 points to close at 37.83. Semiconductor-equipment maker ASML Holding NV (ASML) added 1.60% - gaining 23.40 points to finish at 1,485.20, a move that took the stock to an all-time high. ASM International NV (ASMI) also posted gains, rising 0.99% or 8.80 points to end the day at 897.40.
Not all large caps moved higher. Akzo Nobel NV (AKZO) recorded a sharp decline, falling 17.22% - down 11.44 points to close at 55.00. CVC Capital Partners PLC (CVC) dropped 7.51% or 1.03 points to finish at 12.68, while Prosus (PRX) fell 5.51% - a decrease of 2.35 points to 40.25.
Breadth and volatility
On the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, declining issues outnumbered advancers by 68 to 28, and 9 issues ended unchanged. The AEX Volatility gauge, which measures implied volatility in AEX options, was unchanged at 21.09 - a 0.00% change from the prior reading.
Commodities and currencies
Commodity markets saw notable moves during the session. Crude oil for July delivery rose 2.31% - up $2.17 to trade at $95.93 a barrel. Brent oil for August delivery gained 1.99% or $1.91 to reach $97.91 a barrel. By contrast, the August Gold Futures contract fell 1.16% - down $52.53 to trade at $4,467.37 a troy ounce.
In currency markets, EUR/USD was unchanged 0.26% to 1.16, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.07% to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures ticked higher, up 0.29% at 99.47.
Closing snapshot
The closing print left the AEX at 1,043.95, down 5.11 points (-0.49%). The session combined pockets of strength among select blue chips with sharp single-stock declines, and commodity price moves were a notable feature of the day’s markets.
Data points and percentages reported are as stated at the close of trading on Wednesday.