Swedish share prices finished the trading day higher on Thursday as advances in the Healthcare, Basic Materials and Financials sectors supported the market. By the close in Stockholm, the benchmark OMX Stockholm 30 had gained 0.80% and registered a three-month high.
Among individual movers, SAAB AB ser. B (ST:SAABb) was the session's strongest performer on the OMXS30, jumping 8.60% - an increase of 44.70 points - to finish at 564.20. Pharmaceutical heavyweight AstraZeneca PLC (ST:AZN) climbed 4.94%, adding 88.50 points to end the day at 1,881.00, while AB SKF B (ST:SKFb) rose 4.82%, or 12.00 points, closing at 260.80.
Not all components followed the rally. Boliden AB (ST:BOL) was the weakest on the index, retreating 2.92% - a fall of 15.80 points - to 525.20 at the close. ABB Ltd (ST:ABB) declined 1.26%, down 13.00 points to 1,021.00, and Atlas Copco AB Class A (ST:ATCOa) slipped 1.00%, or 1.95 points, to 192.80.
Market breadth favored advancing issues, with 490 stocks higher versus 242 decliners on the Stockholm Stock Exchange; 70 shares finished unchanged.
Commodities trading reflected divergent moves. Crude oil for August delivery dropped 1.30%, a decrease of 0.89, to settle at $67.69 a barrel. Brent oil for September delivery fell 1.17% or 0.84 to $70.73 a barrel. In contrast, the August Gold Futures contract rose 1.47%, gaining 59.94, to trade at $4,142.34 a troy ounce.
Currency pairs involving the Swedish krona also moved: EUR/SEK declined 0.11% to 11.06, while USD/SEK fell 0.72% to 9.66. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.64% at 100.51.
Key statistics from the session at a glance:
- OMX Stockholm 30: +0.80% (three-month high)
- Top gainers: SAAB AB ser. B +8.60%, AstraZeneca PLC +4.94%, AB SKF B +4.82%
- Largest decliners: Boliden AB -2.92%, ABB Ltd -1.26%, Atlas Copco AB Class A -1.00%
- Market breadth: 490 rising, 242 falling, 70 unchanged
The trading day combined sector-led strength in healthcare, basic materials and financials with selective weakness among industrial and materials names, while commodity and currency moves added further texture to market flows.