Netherlands stocks finished the trading day higher on Wednesday, with the AEX index closing up 0.91% in Amsterdam. Strength in the Healthcare, Financials and Basic Materials sectors underpinned the advance.
The session's top gainer on the AEX was Prosus (AS:PRX), which climbed 4.45% or 1.77 points to trade at 41.47 at the close. CVC Capital Partners PLC (AS:CVC) followed, rising 3.53% or 0.38 points to finish at 11.13. ASM International NV (AS:ASMI) also featured among the leaders, gaining 3.26% or 22.20 points to end the session at 702.80 in late trade.
On the downside, Koninklijke KPN NV (AS:KPN) was the weakest performer, down 1.20% or 0.06 points to trade at 4.68 at the close. Relx PLC (AS:REL) declined 0.92% or 0.26 points to end at 27.90, and Magnum Ice Cream Nv (AS:MICCT) fell 0.77% or 0.10 points to 12.63.
Market breadth on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange favored rising names, with 75 stocks advancing compared with 22 decliners, while 6 issues finished unchanged.
The AEX Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of AEX options, was unchanged 0.00% to 21.09.
Commodities displayed mixed moves. Crude oil for May delivery fell 1.81% or 1.67 to trade at $90.68 a barrel. Brent oil for June delivery dropped 2.95% or 2.96 to $97.27 a barrel. By contrast, the June Gold Futures contract rose 3.27% or 145.20 to trade at $4,579.30 a troy ounce.
In currency and futures trading, EUR/USD was unchanged 0.35% to 1.16, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.08% to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.13% at 99.37.
Overall, the session closed with the main Dutch index higher and selective stock gains concentrated among the session leaders noted above. Broader market volatility measured by the AEX options gauge held steady as commodity prices diverged between oil and gold.