Belgian equities ended the trading session firmer on Friday, with the BEL 20 rising 0.43% at the close in Brussels to record an all-time high. Sector-level strength in Utilities, Basic Materials and Technology contributed to the broad advance.
Among individual components, Aperam SA (AS:APAM) led gains on the index, finishing up 3.60% - a rise of 1.58 points - to close at 45.50. Umicore SA (EBR:UMI) also advanced, adding 2.40% or 0.50 points to finish at 21.36, while Azelis Corporate Services NV (EBR:AZE) rose 2.17% or 0.21 points to end the day at 9.89.
Not all large names participated in the rally. UCB SA (EBR:UCB) was the session's biggest decliner on the BEL 20, slipping 1.93% - a fall of 5.10 points - to close at 259.50. KBC Groep NV (EBR:KBC) fell 0.86% or 1.05 points to end at 120.65, and Solvay SA (EBR:SOLB) dropped 0.60% or 0.16 points to finish at 26.36.
Market breadth in Brussels favored advancers: 54 issues closed higher while 32 declined and 18 were unchanged.
In commodities trading, gold futures for August delivery gained 1.25%, up 51.39 to settle at $4,177.09 a troy ounce. Crude oil for August delivery was unchanged at $68.69 a barrel, while the September Brent contract rose 0.31% or 0.22 to trade at $72.02 a barrel.
Currency markets showed little movement: the euro against the U.S. dollar was essentially flat, changing by 0.03% to 1.14, and the euro versus the pound sterling moved 0.02% to 0.86. The U.S. Dollar Index futures ticked down 0.01% to 100.61.
Market snapshot
- BEL 20: +0.43% (closed at a new all-time high)
- Top gainers: Aperam (APAM) +3.60%, Umicore (UMI) +2.40%, Azelis (AZE) +2.17%
- Top decliners: UCB (UCB) -1.93%, KBC (KBC) -0.86%, Solvay (SOLB) -0.60%
- Commodities: Gold +1.25% to $4,177.09/oz; Crude (Aug) unchanged at $68.69/bbl; Brent (Sep) +0.31% to $72.02/bbl
- Currencies: EUR/USD +0.03% at 1.14; EUR/GBP +0.02% at 0.86; USD Index -0.01% at 100.61
These movements left the Brussels market with more advancing issues than decliners, while commodities and currency pairs posted mixed results. The session highlighted notable divergence between some of the larger constituents on the BEL 20, with several materials and technology-related names pushing the index higher despite declines in other heavyweight stocks.