Belgian stocks moved lower by the end of trading on Wednesday, weighed down by losses in Industrials, Healthcare and Consumer Goods, leaving the benchmark BEL 20 down 0.82% at the close in Brussels.
Among the index's top performers, Solvay SA (EBR:SOLB) finished up 1.10% - gaining 0.30 points to close at 27.66. Utility operator Elia (EBR:ELI) added 1.02%, or 1.40 points, to reach 139.30, while semiconductor firm Melexis NV (EBR:MLXS) rose 0.84%, or 0.55 points, to finish at 65.85.
On the downside, banking group KBC Groep NV (EBR:KBC) led losses, slipping 1.95% - down 2.30 points to 115.45 at the close. Pharmaceutical company UCB SA (EBR:UCB) declined 1.62%, or 4.00 points, to end at 243.10, and car distributor D’Ieteren NV (EBR:IETB) was 1.48% lower, down 2.70 points to 180.00.
Market breadth on the Brussels Stock Exchange tilted toward the downside, with falling stocks outnumbering advancers by 61 to 31 and 13 issues finishing unchanged.
Commodities and energy
Precious metals and oil futures were stronger in their respective sessions. Gold Futures for June delivery rose 0.63%, gaining 29.85 to trade at $4,749.45 a troy ounce. In energy markets, crude oil for June delivery climbed 3.66%, or 3.28, to $92.95 a barrel, while the June Brent contract increased 3.23%, or 3.18, to trade at $101.66 a barrel.
Foreign exchange and dollar index
On currency markets, EUR/USD was essentially unchanged, moving 0.25% to 1.17, and EUR/GBP was unchanged by 0.26% at 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures ticked higher by 0.14% to 98.36.
This session’s outcome reflects a narrow set of sector pressures that outweighed gains in several individual names. The Industrials, Healthcare and Consumer Goods sectors were the identifiable drags on the BEL 20, while select stock-level gains were not sufficient to offset the broader market weakness.