Belgian equities finished lower after trading on Monday, with the benchmark BEL 20 index closing down 0.88% in Brussels. Sector-level weakness in Healthcare, Consumer Goods and Industrials contributed to the downward pressure on the index.
By the close, market breadth showed more falling stocks than advancing ones on the Brussels exchange: 60 shares declined, 36 rose and 9 finished flat.
Top and bottom movers
Among the strongest performers on the BEL 20, Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (EBR:ABI) led gains, rising 1.26% or 0.84 points to finish at 67.76. KBC Groep NV (EBR:KBC) added 1.07% or 1.25 points to close at 117.90, and Elia (EBR:ELI) advanced 0.37% or 0.50 points to end at 135.50.
On the downside, Umicore SA (EBR:UMI) posted the largest drop, falling 6.94% or 1.27 points to close at 17.04. Azelis Corporate Services NV (EBR:AZE) decreased 5.86% or 0.52 points to 8.36, while Argen-X (EBR:ARGX) was down 2.60% or 18.80 points to 703.60.
Elia's late-session move took the stock to a three-year high, as it rose 0.37% or 0.50 to 135.50.
Commodities and currencies
In commodity markets, April gold futures climbed 2.98% or 151.29 to $5,232.19 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery edged lower, falling 0.12% or 0.08 to $66.40 a barrel. The May Brent contract also slipped 0.13% or 0.09 to trade at $71.21 a barrel.
Currency pairs and dollar measures moved modestly: EUR/USD was unchanged 0.20% to 1.18, EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.05% to 0.87, and the US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.23% at 97.50.
Promotional note contained in the session bulletin
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