Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Telecoms, Consumer Goods and Healthcare sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.33% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Proximus NV (BR:PROX), which rose 2.68% or 0.54 points to trade at 20.67 at the close. Meanwhile, Argen-X (BR:ARGX) added 2.55% or 2.00 points to end at 80.50 and Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG) was up 1.78% or 1.600 points to 91.340 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Umicore SA (BR:UMI), which fell 1.80% or 0.94 points to trade at 51.16 at the close. KBC (BR:KBC) declined 0.90% or 0.580 points to end at 64.220 and Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) was down 0.50% or 0.55 points to 109.50.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 68 to 38 and 19 ended unchanged.
Shares in KBC (BR:KBC) fell to 52-week lows; down 0.90% or 0.580 to 64.220.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.45% or 5.50 to $1229.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 0.12% or 0.08 to hit $68.16 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.36% or 0.26 to trade at $72.84 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.58% to 1.1710, while EUR/GBP fell 0.19% to 0.8929.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.65% at 94.36.