Helsinki - Finland's main equity gauge ended Friday's session in positive territory, with the OMX Helsinki 25 adding 0.25% at the close as gains in the Utilities, Oil & Gas and Consumer Services sectors pushed the index higher.
Among individual movers on the OMX Helsinki 25, Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) led the winners, climbing 3.81% - a rise of 0.18 points - to finish at 4.95. The stock's advance took it to a 52-week high at the close. SSAB AB B (HE:SSABBH) also posted a strong performance, adding 3.52% or 0.24 points to end at 7.17, while Fortum Oyj (HE:FORTUM) rose 3.46% - up 0.66 points - to 19.60 in late trade.
Not all components shared in the rally. Valmet Oyj (HE:VALMT) was the session's weakest performer, slipping 8.36% or 2.50 points to close at 27.39. KONE Oyj (HE:KNEBV) fell 5.54%, a decline of 3.52 points, to finish at 60.04, and Nokian Renkaat Oyj (HE:TYRES) was down 2.29% or 0.25 points at 10.65.
Market breadth on the Helsinki exchange favored advancing issues, with 108 stocks rising against 62 decliners and 20 shares ending unchanged.
Commodities and currencies
Commodity prices moved higher during the session. Brent oil for April delivery increased 1.36% or 0.92 to trade at $68.47 a barrel. U.S. crude for March delivery rose 1.33% or 0.84 to $64.13 a barrel. In metals, the April Gold Futures contract gained 1.76% or 85.99, settling at $4,975.49 a troy ounce.
On the currency front, EUR/USD was quoted unchanged at 1.18, with a 0.28% marker noted. EUR/GBP remained effectively steady at 0.87, with an unchanged reading of 0.22%. The US Dollar Index Futures moved down 0.15% to 97.55.
Session takeaways
The session presented a mixed picture: several cyclical and commodity-linked names outperformed, while some industrial and manufacturing-related stocks recorded pronounced declines. Advancers outnumbered decliners on the Helsinki exchange, and commodity prices for oil and gold posted gains during the day.
Note: All prices, percentages and tickers reported here reflect the market close in Helsinki on the day in question.