Stock prices in Finland finished the trading day lower on Wednesday, pressured by declines in Industrials, Basic Materials and Healthcare sectors that weighed on the broader market.
At the close in Helsinki, the OMX Helsinki 25 index fell 1.52%.
Top and bottom movers
The best-performing names within the OMX Helsinki 25 were Neste Oyj (HE:NESTE), which gained 2.04% or 0.57 points to close at 28.54; Elisa Oyj (HE:ELISA), which climbed 1.98% or 0.78 points to finish at 40.16; and Kesko Oyj (HE:KESKOB), which added 1.04% or 0.22 points to end at 21.44.
On the downside, Wartsila Oyj Abp (HE:WRT1V) fell 6.77% or 2.38 points to close at 32.80, marking it among the session's largest percentage declines. Kemira Oyj (HE:KEMIRA) slipped 5.79% or 1.03 points to 16.75, and Stora Enso Oyj R (HE:STERV) retreated 4.54% or 0.46 points to 9.56.
Market breadth and notable lows
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the Helsinki Stock Exchange by 103 to 69, while 16 issues finished unchanged. Shares of Kemira fell to fresh 52-week lows, losing 5.79% or 1.03 to close at 16.75.
Commodities and currency
Commodity markets were mixed in tandem with the equity moves. Brent oil for August delivery rose 2.39% or 2.19 to $93.64 a barrel. U.S. crude for July delivery advanced 2.71% or 2.39 to $90.59 a barrel. In contrast, the August Gold Futures contract fell 3.12% or 133.90 to trade at $4,152.50 a troy ounce.
On the currency front, EUR/USD was essentially flat, changing 0.05% to 1.15, while EUR/GBP remained steady, moving 0.06% to 0.86. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures was up 0.02% at 99.90.
Session summary
- OMX Helsinki 25 closed down 1.52%.
- Sector weakness concentrated in Industrials, Basic Materials and Healthcare.
- Leading winners included NESTE (+2.04%), ELISA (+1.98%) and KESKOB (+1.04%); largest losers included WRT1V (-6.77%), KEMIRA (-5.79%) and STERV (-4.54%).
- Brent and U.S. crude climbed, while August gold futures fell sharply.