Belgian equities ended the trading day higher on Friday, with the flagship BEL 20 index adding 0.52% at the Brussels close to register a new all-time high. Market advance was driven mainly by strength in the Utilities, Industrials and Consumer Goods sectors.
Among individual names, Ackermans & Van Haaren NV (EBR:ACKB) was the standout performer, rising 8.22% - a gain of 21.20 points - to finish at 279.20. Other notable winners included Azelis Corporate Services NV (EBR:AZE), which climbed 2.25% or 0.27 points to close at 12.27, and Syensqo SA (EBR:SYENS), up 2.07% or 1.65 points to 81.35 at the end of trading.
Not all large names moved higher. UCB SA (EBR:UCB) registered one of the session's larger declines, falling 2.43% or 5.40 points to trade at 216.50 at the close. Lotus Bakeries (EBR:LOTB) slipped 1.54% - a drop of 200.00 points - to 12,780.00, while Argen-X (EBR:ARGX) declined 1.34% or 12.20 points to end the day at 895.20.
Market breadth on the Brussels exchange favored advancers: 55 stocks rose versus 33 that fell, and 13 finished unchanged.
Commodity markets showed downward moves during the session. Gold futures for December delivery fell 1.98%, a decline of 92.56, settling at $4,571.44 per troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for October delivery dropped 0.60% or 0.50 to $83.03 a barrel, and the November Brent contract decreased 0.59% or 0.52 to trade at $88.00 a barrel.
Foreign exchange and dollar strength were also evident in trading. The euro slipped against the dollar, with EUR/USD down 0.49% to 1.16. EUR/GBP was reported as unchanged 0.22% to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.45% to 99.54.
The session's outcomes left the BEL 20 at a fresh closing peak, supported by sector leadership from utilities, industrials and consumer goods and buoyed by a handful of strong individual stock performances. At the same time, several heavyweight names moved lower and commodities and FX shifts added complexity to the market picture.