Belgian equities finished Friday's session in positive territory as sector advances in Consumer Services, Healthcare and Utilities helped push the benchmark higher.
By the close in Brussels the BEL 20 rose 0.13% to a new all-time closing high.
The strongest performers on the BEL 20 were Aedifica (EBR:AOO), which climbed 1.91% or 1.35 points to end at 71.90; Montea C.V.A. (EBR:MONTE), up 1.66% or 1.10 points to 67.20; and Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (EBR:ABI), which gained 1.22% or 0.90 points to finish at 74.68.
On the downside, Melexis NV (EBR:MLXS) was the largest decliner on the index, slipping 3.41% or 2.70 points to close at 76.40. Aperam SA (AS:APAM) fell 2.91% or 1.28 points to 42.78, while Umicore SA (EBR:UMI) eased 2.25% or 0.48 points to 20.82.
Breadth across the Brussels Stock Exchange was narrowly positive, with 48 stocks rising, 44 declining and 16 finishing unchanged.
Shares of Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (EBR:ABI) reached five-year highs during the session, finishing up 1.22% at 74.68.
Commodities moved unevenly. Gold futures for August delivery advanced 1.46%, a rise of 58.99 to $4,106.59 a troy ounce. Energy contracts declined: crude oil for August delivery fell 4.00% or $2.88 to $69.04 a barrel, while the September Brent contract dropped 4.07% or $3.07 to $72.43 a barrel.
In currency markets, EUR/USD was essentially unchanged at 1.14, moving 0.27%, and EUR/GBP showed little change, listed at 0.86 with a 0.10% move. The US Dollar Index Futures was reported down 0.18% at 101.01.
These same-session price moves left the BEL 20 with a modest gain and produced contrasting signals across commodities and currency indicators. Market participants saw a session of selective strength among specific Belgian equities while broader commodity prices registered notable shifts.