The Portuguese stock exchange wrapped up Thursday with the PSI-20 posting a 1.70% increase at the close of trading, buoyed primarily by sectors including telecommunications, utilities, and basic materials.
Among the leading contributors to the index’s gain, Nos SGPS SA (ticker: ELI:NOS) outperformed, surging 3.60%, closing at 4.32 euros, marking a 0.15 euro rise. EDP Renovaveis (ELI:EDPR), operating within the renewable energy space, also experienced a strong session, adding 3.10% and closing at 12.98 euros after gaining 0.39 euros. Mota Engil SGPS SA (ELI:MOTA) followed suit with a 2.84% uplift, ending trading at 4.63 euros, an increase of 0.13 euros.
Conversely, some stocks faltered. Galp Energia Nom (ELI:GALP) declined by 2.21% or 0.36 euros, settling at 15.71 euros at session end. Ren Redes Energeticas Nacionais SGPS SA (ELI:RENE) posted a modest 0.61% increase, closing at 3.29 euros. Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA (ELI:JMT), another notable stock, gained 1.08%, finishing at 20.62 euros following a 0.22 euro rise.
Market breadth favored advancing stocks, with 22 shares rising compared to four falling, and three remaining unchanged.
Turning to commodities, March delivery Brent crude oil decreased by 1.79%, translating to a 1.17-dollar reduction to 64.07 dollars per barrel. Simultaneously, March crude oil declined by 1.90%, slipping 1.15 dollars to 59.47 dollars per barrel. On the precious metals front, the February gold futures contract appreciated by 0.91%, or 44.04 dollars, to trade at 4,881.54 dollars per troy ounce.
Foreign exchange movements were relatively subdued. The euro against the US dollar remained steady with a minor 0.40% rise to 1.17, and the euro against the British pound held nearly flat with an insignificant 0.01% advance at 0.87. The US Dollar Index futures retreated slightly by 0.33% to 98.24.