Norwegian equities finished marginally in the red on Thursday, with the Oslo OBX closing down 0.12% as sector weakness in Media, Transport and Diversified Financials pressured the market.
On the Oslo OBX, the session's top performer was Nel ASA (OL:NEL), which climbed 4.67% - rising 0.10 points to close at 2.15. Energy heavyweight Equinor ASA (OL:EQNR) advanced 2.40%, adding 7.20 points to finish at 307.30. Aker BP ASA (OL:AKRBP) also posted gains, increasing 1.50% or 4.50 points to end the session at 304.50.
At the other end of the board, Hafnia Ltd (OL:HAFNI) led declines, sliding 4.81% or 3.60 points to close at 71.26. Hoegh Autoliners ASA (OL:HAUTO) dropped 3.48%, losing 4.80 points to finish at 133.20. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (OL:NAS) fell 3.38%, down 0.54 points to 15.30 in late trade.
Market breadth on the Oslo exchange was fairly balanced but tilted to the upside in count: 133 stocks advanced compared with 123 that declined, while 21 issues finished unchanged.
Commodities and currencies
Energy markets were active during the session. Crude oil for April delivery surged 5.72%, up 4.27 to trade at $78.93 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery rose 3.69%, gaining 3.00 to reach $84.40 a barrel.
In precious metals, the April Gold Futures contract fell 0.55%, a decline of 28.36 to trade at $5,106.34 a troy ounce.
Currency moves showed the Norwegian krone weakening slightly against major currencies. EUR/NOK climbed 0.15% to 11.21, while USD/NOK increased 0.63% to 9.68. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher by 0.51% at 99.24.
Market takeaways
- The OBX closed modestly lower, paced by losses in Media, Transport and Diversified Financials sectors.
- Energy-related names were among winners, with Nel, Equinor and Aker BP posting gains.
- Shipping and travel-related stocks underperformed, including Hafnia, Hoegh Autoliners and Norwegian Air Shuttle.
Overall, Thursday's session featured a mix of sector-level pressure and commodity-driven moves, with a nearly even split between advancing and declining stocks on the Oslo exchange.