Stock Markets May 29, 2026 12:00 PM

Helsinki benchmark slips as telecoms, materials and utilities weigh on market

OMX Helsinki 25 ends lower after broad sector weakness; mixed signals from commodities and currencies

By Avery Klein

Finnish equities closed lower on Friday, with the OMX Helsinki 25 down 0.62% as losses in Telecoms, Basic Materials and Utilities outweighed gains in select names. Qt Group, Hiab and Metso were among the session's top performers, while Nokia, Outokumpu and Wartsila posted the steepest declines. Commodity and currency markets showed divergent moves, with Brent and US crude retreating and gold futures advancing.

Helsinki benchmark slips as telecoms, materials and utilities weigh on market

Key Points

  • OMX Helsinki 25 closed down 0.62% as losses in Telecoms, Basic Materials and Utilities exerted downward pressure on the market.
  • Top performers included Qt Group (QTCOM +3.09%), Hiab (HIAB +3.06%) and Metso (METSO +2.31%); biggest decliners were Nokia (NOKIA -6.27%), Outokumpu (OUT1V -2.45%) and Wartsila (WRT1V -1.66%).
  • Commodities and currencies were mixed: Brent and US crude fell while August gold futures rose; EUR/USD and EUR/GBP were effectively unchanged and the US Dollar Index futures eased.

Finland's equity market finished in negative territory on Friday, with the OMX Helsinki 25 falling 0.62% at the close in Helsinki. Sector-level weakness in Telecoms, Basic Materials and Utilities contributed to the decline, leaving the headline index lower at session end.

Notable winners on the OMX Helsinki 25 included Qt Group Oyj (HE:QTCOM), which climbed 3.09% or 0.88 points to finish at 29.38. Hiab Oyj (HE:HIAB) rose 3.06% or 1.60 points, closing the session at 53.90, while Metso Oyj (HE:METSO) advanced 2.31% or 0.37 points to end at 16.38.

On the downside, Nokia Oyj (HE:NOKIA) led losses, sliding 6.27% or 0.83 points to close at 12.49. Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) fell 2.45% or 0.15 points to 5.96, and Wartsila Oyj Abp (HE:WRT1V) dropped 1.66% or 0.59 points to finish at 34.90.

Advancers outnumbered decliners on the Helsinki exchange by 97 to 75, while 18 stocks ended unchanged, indicating that although more names rose than fell, a subset of larger or more heavily weighted declines was sufficient to push the benchmark lower.

Commodity markets showed mixed direction on the session. Brent crude for August delivery fell 1.76% or 1.63 to $91.07 a barrel. US crude for July delivery declined 1.45% or 1.29 to $87.61 a barrel. By contrast, the August Gold Futures contract rose 1.54% or 69.86 to trade at $4,602.26 a troy ounce.

Foreign exchange pairs were broadly steady. EUR/USD was reported unchanged 0.24% at 1.17, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.01% at 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.21% at 98.76.


Market takeaway

The session reflected selective stock strength amid wider sector pressure. Technology-related and industrial names delivered notable gains, while large-cap telecom and materials firms weighed on the headline index. Commodity moves were mixed and currencies were largely stable, offering only limited directional impetus to Helsinki trading on the day.

Risks

  • Sector-level weakness in Telecoms, Basic Materials and Utilities may continue to pressure the OMX Helsinki 25, affecting large-cap stock performance.
  • Declines in oil benchmarks could influence energy-related and industrial firms' near-term outlooks, potentially impacting Basic Materials and Utilities sectors.
  • Significant single-stock moves, such as the sharp drop in Nokia, can contribute to index volatility and create uncertainty for market breadth despite a higher number of advancing issues.

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