Finnish equities finished the trading day in negative territory on Tuesday, with the OMX Helsinki 25 index down 2.85% at the close in Helsinki. Market pressure was concentrated in Industrials, Utilities and Financials, which together helped drive the benchmark lower.
Among the index components, Neste Oyj (HE:NESTE) was one of the stronger relative performers despite slipping 0.49% - a 0.11 point decline - to finish at 22.54. UPM-Kymmene Oyj (HE:UPM) lost 0.72%, or 0.19 points, closing at 26.28, while Orion Oyj B (HE:ORNBV) dropped 0.74%, a fall of 0.50 points, to end the session at 66.75.
Heavier losses were recorded elsewhere on the exchange. Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) posted the steepest decline among the larger movers, down 8.74% or 0.50 points to close at 5.17. SSAB AB B (HE:SSABBH) fell 5.85% - a 0.42 point decrease - to 6.82, and Wartsila Oyj Abp (HE:WRT1V) retreated 5.64%, sliding 2.04 points to finish at 34.11.
Decliners outnumbered advancers by a wide margin on the Helsinki Stock Exchange, with 162 stocks down versus 17 that rose; 9 shares were unchanged at the close.
Commodity markets displayed notable moves alongside the equity weakness. Brent oil for May delivery rose 6.60%, gaining $5.13 to trade at $82.87 a barrel. Similarly, crude oil for April delivery advanced 6.60%, up $4.70 to $75.93 a barrel. In contrast, the April Gold Futures contract fell 3.72%, losing $197.54 to trade at $5,114.06 a troy ounce.
Currency markets also reflected shifts on the day. The euro weakened against the dollar, with EUR/USD down 0.74% to 1.16. EUR/GBP was effectively unchanged, moving 0.11% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.78%, trading at 99.11.
Market context
The trading session ended with a clear bias toward losses across the Finnish market, with most sectors contributing to the downward move and several industrial names among the largest decliners. Commodity price volatility and currency moves were notable features of the session.