Belgian equities closed lower on Thursday, with the BEL 20 index retreating 0.38% as several cyclical sectors weighed on the market. Losses were concentrated in Utilities, Industrials and Consumer Goods, contributing to an overall decline in the benchmark.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 stood down 0.38%.
Top performers
- Melexis NV (EBR:MLXS) led gains on the roster, advancing 1.23% - a rise of 0.80 points - to finish at 66.00.
- Argen-X (EBR:ARGX) added 1.09%, or 9.80 points, to close at 907.40.
- Sofina (EBR:SOF) gained 0.82%, or 2.00 points, ending the session at 246.80.
Lagging names
- Ackermans & Van Haaren NV (EBR:ACKB) was the weakest on the BEL 20, sliding 1.68% - a drop of 4.40 points - to 258.00 at the close.
- D'Ieteren NV (EBR:IETB) declined 1.58%, losing 2.80 points to end at 174.00.
- KBC Groep NV (EBR:KBC) fell 1.46%, down 1.95 points to 131.65.
Market breadth in Brussels favored decliners: 49 stocks fell versus 42 that rose, and 7 finished unchanged.
Argen-X reached new all-time highs during the session, with its share price closing at 907.40, up 1.09%.
Commodities and FX
- Gold Futures for December delivery were reported up 0.25% - an increase of 11.50 - to $4,664.80 a troy ounce.
- Crude oil for October delivery rose 0.52%, or $0.43, to $82.66 a barrel.
- The November Brent contract increased 0.67%, or $0.58, to $87.52 a barrel.
In foreign exchange, EUR/USD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.02% to 1.17, while EUR/GBP remained flat at 0.86.
The US Dollar Index Futures was reported down 0.03% at 99.06.
Market context and takeaways
Thursday's session was characterized by a modest pullback in the BEL 20, with larger falls concentrated among financial and consumer-facing names and selective upside in technology and investment holding companies. The session's commodity moves were modest and did not offset equity weakness in Brussels.