Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Consumer Goods and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 gained 0.39%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Aperam SA (AS:APAM), which rose 2.34% or 0.84 points to trade at 36.81 at the close. Meanwhile, Cofinimmo-Sicafi (BR:COFB) added 2.03% or 2.10 points to end at 105.60 and UCB (BR:UCB) was up 2.00% or 1.32 points to 67.34 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Proximus NV (BR:PROX), which fell 4.74% or 0.96 points to trade at 19.31 at the close. Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG) declined 4.38% or 3.620 points to end at 78.940 and bpost NV (BR:BPOST) was down 2.59% or 0.36 points to 13.53.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 72 to 44 and 23 ended unchanged.
Shares in Proximus NV (BR:PROX) fell to 3-years lows; down 4.74% or 0.96 to 19.31. Shares in bpost NV (BR:BPOST) fell to all time lows; losing 2.59% or 0.36 to 13.53.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.26% or 3.30 to $1254.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 0.63% or 0.46 to hit $73.91 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 1.83% or 1.42 to trade at $79.03 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.94% to 1.1677, while EUR/GBP rose 0.02% to 0.8848.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.75% at 94.29.