The Brussels stock exchange experienced a robust session on Thursday, concluding with the BEL 20 index advancing by 1.42%. The upward momentum was largely attributable to advances within the Industrials, Basic Materials, and Technology sectors.
Among the individual securities, Lotus Bakeries registered the most significant gain, climbing 4.35% or 390 points to close at 9,360.00. Umicore SA followed, increasing 3.35% or 0.66 points to finish at 20.36, marking a 52-week high for the company. Warehouses de Pauw Comm VA also registered positive movement, rising 2.53% or 0.56 points to settle at 22.70 in late trading.
Contrastingly, D’Ieteren NV was the weakest performer on the BEL 20, edging down 0.11% or 0.20 points to close at 186.40. Ageas and Elia showed marginal gains, up 0.34% and 0.36% respectively, closing at 59.00 and 112.70.
Market breadth favored advancing stocks, with 82 shares rising against 17 that fell; 10 shares remained unchanged by the session’s end.
On the commodities front, gold futures for February delivery increased by 1.01% or $48.66, reaching $4,886.16 per troy ounce. Conversely, crude oil saw declines with March contracts falling 2.05% to $59.38 a barrel and Brent March futures slipping 1.93% to $63.98 a barrel.
Currency-wise, the euro gained traction versus the US dollar, rising 0.45% to 1.17, while the EUR/GBP pair held steady with a minor 0.03% advancement to 0.87. The US Dollar Index futures weakened by 0.37% to 98.19.