Finnish equities ended the trading session lower on Friday, driven by weakness in Telecoms, Financials and Industrials. The OMX Helsinki 25 declined 1.42% at the close, marking a fresh one-month low for the benchmark.
Market breadth was negative on the Helsinki bourse. Falling issues outnumbered advancers by 113 to 60, while 18 stocks finished unchanged.
Among the components of the OMX Helsinki 25, Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) was the session's top performer, rising 1.28% or 0.06 points to finish at 4.59. SSAB AB B (HE:SSABBH) added 0.84% or 0.05 points, closing at 6.26. UPM-Kymmene Oyj (HE:UPM) also posted a modest gain, up 0.24% or 0.06 points to 25.17 in late trade.
On the downside, Lumo Kodit Oyj (HE:LUMO) led losses among the index components, slipping 2.92% or 0.25 points to 8.15 at the close. Lumo Kodit also moved to a 52-week low during the session. Kemira Oyj (HE:KEMIRA) fell 2.18% or 0.41 points to end at 18.38, while Wartsila Oyj Abp (HE:WRT1V) declined 2.09% or 0.67 points, finishing at 31.44.
Commodities traded mixed late in the session. Brent oil for May delivery was up 1.07% or 1.16, trading at $109.81 a barrel. U.S. crude for May delivery rose 2.12% or 2.03 to $97.58 a barrel. April gold futures were lower, slipping 0.44% or 20.26 to trade at $4,585.44 a troy ounce.
Foreign exchange moves were modest. The EUR/USD rate was essentially unchanged, quoted at 1.16, and EUR/GBP was steady at 0.87. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures were up 0.31%, trading at 99.37.
The session left the Helsinki market with clear sector pressure from Telecoms, Financials and Industrials, while selected metal and forestry names outperformed. Volume patterns and individual stock moves reflected a larger number of losers than winners across the exchange.