Portugal's stock market finished the trading day in negative territory on Thursday, with the benchmark PSI closing down 0.49% in Lisbon. Declines in the Financials, Industrials and Utilities sectors were the primary contributors to the downbeat session.
At the close in Lisbon, the PSI lost 0.49%.
The session's top performers included Sonae SGPS SA (ELI:YSO), which advanced 2.34% - a rise of 0.04 points - to finish at 1.92. Semapa (ELI:SEM) added 1.96% or 0.45 points to end at 23.45, while Ren Redes Energeticas Nacionais SGPS SA (ELI:RENE) rose 1.37% or 0.05 points to close at 3.69.
On the downside, CTT Correios de Portugal SA (ELI:CTT) led laggards by falling 2.73% or 0.20 points to 7.12 at the close. Teixeira Duarte (ELI:TDSA) declined 2.26% or 0.01 points to finish at 0.52, and Banco Comercial Portugues (ELI:BCP) slipped 2.13% or 0.02 points to end at 0.88.
Market breadth on the Lisbon Stock Exchange was narrowly tilted toward decliners: 14 stocks fell, 13 advanced and 6 were unchanged.
Several stocks registered fresh peaks despite the broader weakness. Shares of Sonae SGPS SA (ELI:YSO) reached all-time highs, gaining 2.34% or 0.04 to close at 1.92. Semapa (ELI:SEM) also climbed to all-time highs, rising 1.96% or 0.45 to 23.45. Ren Redes Energeticas Nacionais SGPS SA (ELI:RENE) reached 5-year highs, up 1.37% or 0.05 to 3.69.
Commodity markets moved lower during the session. Brent crude for April delivery fell 2.78% or $1.93 to $67.47 a barrel. U.S. crude for March delivery dropped 2.86% or $1.85 to $62.78 a barrel. Precious metals also retreated, with the April Gold Futures contract down 2.38% or 121.39 to trade at $4,977.11 a troy ounce.
Currency crosses showed little movement. The euro traded essentially flat versus the dollar, with EUR/USD unchanged by 0.05% at 1.19. EUR/GBP was also steady, unchanged by 0.02% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.14% at 96.86.
Summary of session dynamics:
- The PSI closed lower by 0.49% as Financials, Industrials and Utilities weighed on the index.
- Winners included Sonae SGPS, Semapa and Ren Redes Energeticas; losers included CTT, Teixeira Duarte and Banco Comercial Portugues.
- Commodity prices fell and major currency pairs were largely unchanged, while the US dollar futures were modestly firmer.