Belgian equities finished the trading day in negative territory on Thursday, with sector-level weakness in Technology, Basic Materials and Industrials pressuring the benchmark index. At the close in Brussels the BEL 20 declined 0.13%.
Leading the winners on the BEL 20, Elia (EBR:ELI) climbed 1.72% - a rise of 2.10 points - to finish at 124.40, a move that pushed the stock to a 52-week high. Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (EBR:ABI) gained 1.57%, up 0.92 points to end the session at 59.64, while Groep Brussel Lambert NV (EBR:GBLB) added 0.82% or 0.65 points to close at 80.15.
On the downside, Melexis NV (EBR:MLXS) posted the largest slide, dropping 2.78% or 1.80 points to settle at 62.95. Syensqo SA (EBR:SYENS) fell 2.21%, down 1.60 points to 70.66, and Solvay SA (EBR:SOLB) retreated 2.13% or 0.54 points to 24.84.
Decliners outpaced advancers on the Brussels exchange by 59 to 34, while 15 issues finished unchanged, indicating a session with broader weakness than strength.
Commodity markets registered mixed performances that accompanied equities. Gold futures for April delivery moved lower, down 0.39% or 20.94 to $5,319.26 a troy ounce. Energy markets were firmer: crude oil for March delivery rose 3.01% or 1.90 to $65.11 a barrel, and the April Brent contract increased 2.70% or 1.82 to trade at $69.19 a barrel.
Foreign exchange markets were largely stable in the session. EUR/USD was essentially unchanged, moving 0.02% to 1.20, with EUR/GBP also unchanged at 0.02% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.15% to 96.13.
Observations
- BEL 20 closed down 0.13% as losses in Technology, Basic Materials and Industrials outweighed gains in select large-cap names.
- Elia reached a 52-week high after advancing 1.72% to 124.40, while Melexis recorded the steepest fall among the index members.
- Commodities were mixed: gold slid modestly, while Brent and U.S. crude posted notable gains for the session.
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