Norwegian stocks finished the trading session in positive territory on Friday as sector strength in healthcare, biotech and utilities propelled the market upward. By the close in Oslo the Oslo OBX advanced 0.59%, establishing a new all-time high for the benchmark.
Leading the gainers on the Oslo OBX was SalMar ASA (OL:SALM), which rose 2.33% - an increase of 13.50 points - to finish at 593.50. Orkla ASA (OL:ORK) added 2.20%, or 2.80 points, to close at 130.10, while DnB ASA (OL:DNB) climbed 2.18%, or 6.50 points, to end the session at 305.10.
On the other side of the tape, energy names were among the weakest performers. Var Energi ASA (OL:VAR) slipped 1.97% - a drop of 0.69 points - to close at 34.35. Equinor ASA (OL:EQNR) fell 1.97%, or 5.50 points, to finish at 273.70, and Aker BP ASA (OL:AKRBP) declined 1.50% - down 4.30 points - to trade at 281.90 at the close.
Market breadth on the Oslo Stock Exchange favored advancing issues: 167 stocks rose compared with 94 that fell, while 19 ended the day unchanged.
Two major components of the OBX reached record levels during the session. Shares of Orkla ASA rose to an all-time high, finishing at 130.10 after a 2.20% gain, and DnB ASA also recorded an all-time high, closing at 305.10 following a 2.18% increase.
Commodities and foreign-exchange moves accompanied the equity action. Crude oil for April delivery was down 0.54%, a decrease of 0.36, to trade at $66.04 a barrel. Brent oil for April delivery fell 0.53%, or 0.38, to $71.28 a barrel. In metals, the April Gold Futures contract rose 1.30% - an increase of 64.84 - reaching $5,062.24 a troy ounce.
Currency pairs involving the Norwegian krone moved during the day: EUR/NOK declined 0.18% to 11.22, while USD/NOK fell 0.28% to 9.52. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures was lower by 0.22% at 97.64.
Several market and macro indicators stood out at the close: the Oslo OBX logged a new record, sector leadership concentrated in Healthcare Equipment & Services, Pharma Biotech & Life Sciences and Utilities, and energy sector names underperformed alongside weaker oil prices. Currency and bullion moves were also notable features of the session.