Amsterdam equities closed higher on Friday, with the AEX index finishing the session up 0.59%. Gains in the Technology, Consumer Services and Industrials sectors provided the primary upward momentum for the market.
At the close in Amsterdam, the AEX was higher by 0.59%.
Top performers included Relx PLC (AS:REL), which climbed 10.40% - an increase of 2.46 points to settle at 26.12. Wolters Kluwer (AS:WLSNc) advanced 6.12%, up 3.70 points to finish at 64.18. BE Semiconductor Industries NV (AS:BESI) rose 4.45%, gaining 7.50 points to close at 176.20, and in doing so moved to a 52-week high.
Largest decliners were concentrated in the financials. NN Group NV (AS:NN) fell 3.52%, down 2.48 points to end at 67.98. ABN AMRO Group NV (AS:ABNd) dropped 3.26%, a loss of 0.95 points to close at 28.21. ING Groep NV (AS:INGA) declined 2.82%, slipping 0.69 points to finish at 23.82.
Market breadth on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange favored advancing issues, with 57 stocks rising, 36 falling and 10 ending unchanged.
BE Semiconductor's move to a 52-week high was marked by the same 4.45% rise that brought its share price to 176.20, an increase of 7.50 points in late trade.
Volatility measures were steady. The AEX Volatility index, which tracks implied volatility in AEX options, was unchanged at 21.09 (0.00% change).
Commodities and currencies
In commodities trading, crude oil for March delivery was slightly lower, down 0.08% or 0.05 to trade at $62.79 a barrel. Brent crude for April delivery ticked up 0.16% or 0.11 to $67.63 a barrel. April Gold Futures rose 1.79%, an increase of 88.44, to trade at $5,036.84 per troy ounce.
On the FX front, EUR/USD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.03% to 1.19, and EUR/GBP was reported unchanged at 0.87 with a 0.15% change. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.06% to 96.78.
These closing levels reflect the session's net positioning across equity sectors, commodities and currency markets. Where relevant, stock-specific moves produced notable outcomes such as BE Semiconductor Industries NV reaching a 52-week peak, while several major Dutch financial names recorded the session's largest declines.
Market participants looking to assess sector momentum can reference the relative strength in Technology, Consumer Services and Industrials versus the financials, as shown by the leading advancers and decliners at the close.