Netherlands equities ended the trading day with a small gain, as sector strength in Telecoms, Oil & Gas and Consumer Goods helped push the benchmark index up. At the close in Amsterdam the AEX rose 0.10%.
Among individual stocks, BE Semiconductor Industries NV (AS:BESI) registered the largest increase on the AEX, climbing 5.62% or 9.85 points to finish at 185.10. CVC Capital Partners PLC (AS:CVC) also advanced, adding 2.68% or 0.29 points to close at 11.10, and Prosus (AS:PRX) was up 2.61% or 1.19 points to end the session at 46.62.
On the downside, ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) led the losers, slipping 4.28% or 2.00 points to close at 44.73. Exor NV (AS:EXOR) fell 3.40% or 2.40 points to 68.20, a move noted in the session as taking the stock to 3-year lows, and ASM International NV (AS:ASMI) declined 3.08% or 21.80 points to end at 686.00.
Market breadth in Amsterdam was tilted toward declines. Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones by 60 to 38, while 9 issues finished unchanged.
Volatility and commodities
The AEX Volatility gauge, which measures implied volatility in AEX options, was unchanged on the day, remaining at 21.09.
Energy markets moved higher: crude oil for April delivery rose 0.75% or 0.72 to trade at $96.45 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery increased 0.54% or 0.54 to reach $101.00 a barrel. In metals, the April Gold Futures contract posted a decline, falling 1.40% or 71.69 to trade at $5,054.11 a troy ounce.
Foreign exchange and indices
Currency markets showed mixed direction. The euro fell versus the dollar, with EUR/USD down 0.64% to 1.14. EUR/GBP was effectively unchanged, moving 0.12% to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures advanced 0.61% to 100.36.
This trading day combined modest index gains with several notable individual stock moves and a divergence between energy and precious metals. While the AEX posted a slight increase, the larger number of decliners underscores uneven participation across sectors.