Stocks in Spain ended Thursday's session with gains, paced by strength in financials, real estate and construction-related names. At the close in Madrid, the IBEX 35 registered a 1.78% increase.
The session's top performers on the IBEX 35 included Sacyr SA (BME:SCYR), which advanced 5.47% - equal to a 0.25 point rise - to finish at 4.82. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BME:BBVA) added 4.95%, a 1.13 point gain, to close at 23.95. SOLARIA ENERGIA Y MEDIO AMBIENTE (BME:SLRS) also posted solid gains, climbing 3.81% or 0.63 points to end the day at 17.16.
On the downside, Amadeus IT (BME:AMA) was the heaviest loser among the index components, slipping 2.15% or 1.16 points to close at 52.68. Telefonica (BME:TEF) declined 1.72%, a fall of 0.06 points, to finish at 3.60, and Enagas (BME:ENAG) was down 1.34%, a 0.23 point drop, to 16.92.
Breadth at the Madrid Stock Exchange favored advancing issues, with 116 stocks rising against 79 decliners; 18 shares ended unchanged.
Shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria reached an all-time high in the session, climbing 4.95% or 1.13 points to 23.95.
Commodities traded with mixed outcomes. Gold futures for August delivery rose 1.84%, gaining $74.10 to settle at $4,110.40 a troy ounce. In energy markets, U.S. crude for September delivery dipped 0.28%, or $0.24, to $84.22 a barrel, while the October Brent contract fell 0.98% or $0.86 to trade at $87.23 a barrel.
Foreign exchange moves accompanied the equity and commodity action. The euro strengthened versus the dollar, with EUR/USD up 0.52% to 1.15. EUR/GBP was reported as unchanged at 0.86, reflecting a 0.22% reading in the data provided. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures was lower, down 0.89% at 99.83.
The close left the IBEX 35 higher for the day, supported by gains in several sectors while a number of large-cap names trimmed value. Market participants observed notable intraday dispersion among individual stocks and asset classes.