Stock market trading in Stockholm finished the session lower on Wednesday, with selling pressure in Telecoms, Healthcare and Industrials driving the headline index down. At the close, the OMX Stockholm 30 was off 0.54%.
Among the index constituents, Volvo, AB ser. B (ST:VOLVb) was the leading gainer, rising 2.63% or 8.30 points to finish at 323.70. AB SKF B (ST:SKFb) also advanced, adding 1.39% or 3.50 points to end the day at 255.00. Boliden AB (ST:BOL) climbed 1.18% or 7.40 points to 635.00 in late trade and was noted as having reached an all-time high at that level.
On the downside, Tele2 AB (ST:TEL2b) was the weakest member of the OMX Stockholm 30, declining 3.99% or 6.60 points to close at 158.90. Atlas Copco AB Class A (ST:ATCOa) fell 2.49% or 4.70 points to end at 182.00, while AstraZeneca PLC (ST:AZN) slipped 2.16% or 36.50 points to 1,656.50.
Market breadth on the Stockholm Stock Exchange favored falling stocks: 390 issues declined versus 351 that advanced, while 67 stocks finished unchanged.
In commodities, crude oil for March delivery traded higher, up 0.59% or 0.37 to $62.76 a barrel. Brent oil for April delivery rose 0.48% or 0.32 to $66.91 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract was reported up 4.08% or 208.91 to trade at 5,329.51 a troy ounce.
Currency moves accompanied the session: the euro was stronger against the Swedish krona, with EUR/SEK rising 0.41% to 10.59. The dollar was also firmer versus the krona, as USD/SEK increased 1.26% to 8.87. The US Dollar Index Futures was quoted higher by 0.30% at 96.33.
The session combined sector-specific weakness in Telecoms, Healthcare and Industrials with selective strength among certain industrial and mining names. Notable index winners included Volvo and SKF, while declines in Tele2, Atlas Copco Class A and AstraZeneca weighed on the benchmark. Broad market participation leaned toward losers, and commodity and currency markets posted modest gains for oil and the dollar against the krona.