Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Utilities, Telecoms and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.26% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Engie SA (PA:ENGIE), which rose 2.26% or 0.30 points to trade at 13.81 at the close. Meanwhile, Proximus NV (BR:PROX) added 2.06% or 0.41 points to end at 20.10 and Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) was up 1.80% or 0.46 points to 25.96 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (BR:ABI), which fell 4.06% or 3.70 points to trade at 87.33 at the close. Argen-X (BR:ARGX) declined 2.32% or 1.90 points to end at 79.90 and Ageas (BR:AGES) was down 0.22% or 0.100 points to 44.970.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 76 to 32 and 22 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 0.49% or 6.00 to $1225.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.56% or 0.39 to hit $69.69 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.76% or 0.56 to trade at $74.49 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.57% to 1.1661, while EUR/GBP fell 0.06% to 0.8887.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 94.44.