Investing.com – Belgium stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Utilities, Pharma & Bio-technology and Beverage sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 fell 0.34%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were NV Bekaert SA (BRU:BEKB), which rose 4.23% or 1.10 points to trade at 27.09 at the close. Meanwhile, KBC (BRU:KBC) added 2.79% or 1.640 points to end at 60.460 and Cofinimmo-Sicafi (BRU:COFB) was up 1.16% or 1.11 points to 96.43 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were GDF Suez (PARIS:GSZ), which fell 2.70% or 0.49 points to trade at 17.76 at the close. Delhaize Group (BRU:DELB) declined 2.07% or 1.74 points to end at 82.26 and UCB (BRU:UCB) was down 1.62% or 1.01 points to 61.49.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 104 to 64 and 7 ended unchanged.
Shares in KBC (BRU:KBC) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 2.79% or 1.640 to 60.460.
Gold for June delivery was up 1.90% or 22.70 to $1215.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in June rose 0.82% or 0.50 to hit $61.25 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose 1.40% or 0.94 to trade at $68.32 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 1.36% to 1.1365, while EUR/GBP rose 0.87% to 0.7218.
The US Dollar Index was down 1.15% at 93.62.