Netherlands stocks closed modestly lower on Wednesday, with the AEX ending the session down 0.10% after pressure from several sector groups.
At the Amsterdam close the index registered a small decline of 0.10% as losses concentrated in Telecoms, Oil & Gas and Consumer Goods weighed on the market.
Top performers
- Magnum Ice Cream Nv (MICCT) led gains on the AEX, rising 2.68% or 0.43 points to finish at 16.37.
- Heineken (HEIN) added 2.19% or 1.70 points to close at 79.40.
- DSM Firmenich AG (DSFIR) increased 1.55% or 1.42 points to end the day at 93.20.
Largest decliners
- Koninklijke KPN NV (KPN) was the heaviest faller on the index, dropping 2.23% or 0.09 points to close at 3.95.
- Wolters Kluwer (WLSNc) slipped 1.90% or 1.36 points to end at 70.24.
- Universal Music Group NV (UMG) declined 1.54% or 0.23 points to finish at 14.70.
Market breadth on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange showed 52 stocks advancing versus 42 declining, while 12 names finished unchanged.
The AEX Volatility gauge, which reflects implied volatility in AEX options, remained flat at 21.09, recording no change for the session.
Commodities and currencies
In commodities, crude oil for September delivery fell 0.16% or 0.12 to $75.65 a barrel. Brent oil for October delivery rose 0.32% or 0.25 to $79.61 a barrel. The December Gold Futures contract posted a notable increase, rising 3.40% or 140.99 to trade at $4,293.59 a troy ounce.
On the foreign exchange front, EUR/USD was reported unchanged 0.10% at 1.15, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.00% at 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures moved lower, down 0.12% to 99.62.
Closing summary
Overall, the Amsterdam market finished with a small loss as gains in select consumer and specialty names were offset by weakness in telecom and information services stocks. The unchanged reading in AEX Volatility suggests option-implied risk held steady even as the index ticked lower.
Data points and prices are as reported at the Amsterdam market close.