Helsinki - Finnish equities finished the session in negative territory, with the OMX Helsinki 25 closing down 0.13% after a day in which Technology, Healthcare and Oil & Gas sectors led losses across the board.
Market internals reflected the weak tone: 127 stocks fell against 47 gainers, while 14 issues finished unchanged on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
Top and bottom movers
Among the 25 large-cap constituents, Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) recorded the strongest gain, rising 2.13% or 0.11 points to finish at 5.26. SSAB AB B (HE:SSABBH) also outperformed, adding 2.05% or 0.15 points to close at 7.38. Metso Oyj (HE:METSO) made a smaller advance, up 0.95% or 0.16 points to 17.07.
On the downside, Hiab Oyj (HE:HIAB) posted the steepest drop, falling 2.49% or 1.24 points to end the session at 48.64. Qt Group Oyj (HE:QTCOM) slipped 2.00% or 0.50 points to 24.52, while TietoEVRY Corp (HE:TIETO) declined 1.77% or 0.34 points to close at 18.85.
Commodities and currencies
In commodities trading, Brent oil for May delivery was down 0.13% or 0.09 to $71.21 a barrel. US crude for April delivery edged lower as well, falling 0.12% or 0.08 to $66.40 a barrel. By contrast, the April Gold Futures contract registered a sizable advance, rising 2.94% or 149.59 to trade at $5,230.49 a troy ounce.
FX markets showed limited movement: EUR/USD was unchanged 0.18% to 1.18, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.02% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures moved lower, down 0.22% at 97.51.
Context and takeaways
Overall, the session was characterized by a heavier number of decliners than advancers and modest moves in energy and currency markets. A handful of industrial and materials names outperformed the broader market, even as sectoral weakness in Technology, Healthcare and Oil & Gas applied downward pressure on the benchmark.