Belgian equities ended the trading week with losses as sector-level declines pushed the main benchmark lower. At the close in Brussels on Friday, the BEL 20 dropped 1.76% and recorded a new three-month low, paced by weakness in the Utilities, Consumer Goods and Healthcare sectors.
Individual movers on the index were mixed. The session's top performer was Syensqo SA, which rose 0.86% - an increase of 0.37 points - to finish at 43.52. Umicore SA added 0.59% or 0.09 points, closing at 15.40, while Lotus Bakeries gained 0.41% - up 40.00 points - to end the session at 9,750.00.
On the downside, Warehouses de Pauw Comm VA recorded the heaviest loss among the benchmark components, slipping 2.69% or 0.62 points to 22.40 at the close. Sofina declined 2.51% - down 5.60 points - to 217.60, and Elia fell 2.44%, a drop of 3.20 points, settling at 128.00.
Market breadth on the Brussels Stock Exchange was tilted toward declining stocks: 68 issues fell versus 24 that advanced, while 12 remained unchanged.
Commodities and currency markets registered notable moves during the session. Gold Futures for April delivery fell 0.31% - down 14.15 - to $4,591.55 a troy ounce. In energy markets, U.S. crude oil for May delivery rose 1.99% - up 1.90 - to $97.45 a barrel, and the May Brent oil contract increased 0.99% or 1.08 to trade at $109.73 a barrel.
Foreign exchange rates showed small shifts. EUR/USD was unchanged at 1.16, reflecting a 0.22% move, while EUR/GBP was unchanged at 0.87, reflecting a 0.52% move. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures moved up 0.29% to 99.34.
Separately, a commercial AI-driven stock selection product described AI computing as reshaping investment decisions and offered a suite of model portfolios under the name "ProPicks AI." According to the product's stated performance figures, year-to-date 2 out of 3 global portfolios were outperforming their benchmark indexes, with 88% of the portfolios in the green. It highlighted a flagship strategy called Tech Titans that reportedly doubled the S&P 500 within an 18-month span and cited notable winners including Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%).
The session's price action left the BEL 20 at a lower level heading into the next trading day, with sector-specific weakness and mixed commodity signals providing the immediate backdrop for investors.