Portugal's stock market finished the trading day lower on Thursday, with sector losses in Financials, Consumer Services and Basic Materials pressuring the benchmark PSI. At the close in Lisbon the PSI registered a 0.22% decline.
Among individual names, energy company Galp Energia Nom (ELI:GALP) was the session's strongest performer, rising 2.81% - a gain of 0.46 points - to finish at 16.85. Construction group Mota Engil SGPS SA (ELI:MOTA) added 1.37%, or 0.06 points, to close at 4.44, while electricity network operator Ren Redes Energeticas Nacionais SGPS SA (ELI:RENE) edged up 0.15% - 0.01 points - to 3.40 in late trade.
On the downside, Altri SGPS SA (ELI:ALSS) led declines, falling 1.35% or 0.06 points to end the session at 4.39. Banco Comercial Portugues (ELI:BCP) slipped 1.31%, a 0.01 point drop, to close at 0.90, and Teixeira Duarte (ELI:TDSA) lost 1.23% - 0.01 points - to finish at 0.48.
Market breadth in Lisbon was tilted toward decliners: 16 stocks fell versus 10 that advanced, and 3 issues finished unchanged.
Commodity markets showed notable moves alongside the equity action. Brent oil for April delivery climbed 2.88% - up $1.94 - to $69.31 a barrel. In related crude trading, the contract for March delivery rose 3.16%, or $2.00, reaching $65.21 a barrel. Precious metals were weaker, with the April Gold Futures contract down 0.38% - a decline of $20.31 - to trade at $5,319.89 a troy ounce.
Foreign exchange rates were largely steady. The euro-dollar rate, EUR/USD, registered a 0.02% change to 1.20, while EUR/GBP was effectively unchanged at 0.87 with a 0.01% movement. The US Dollar Index Futures finished the session lower, down 0.15% at 96.13.
The session left Portugal's benchmark marginally lower, with a concentrated set of sector losses and mixed signals from commodities and currencies.