Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Utilities, Consumer Services and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 added 0.60%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were bpost NV (BR:BPOST), which rose 2.49% or 0.32 points to trade at 13.17 at the close. Meanwhile, Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) added 1.63% or 0.38 points to end at 23.74 and Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) was up 1.56% or 1.75 points to 114.15 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Umicore SA (BR:UMI), which fell 1.17% or 0.54 points to trade at 45.81 at the close. Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG) declined 0.90% or 0.820 points to end at 89.940 and Aperam SA (AS:APAM) was down 0.79% or 0.31 points to 38.69.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 58 to 51 and 19 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.07% or 0.80 to $1185.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.63% or 0.41 to hit $65.42 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.61% or 0.43 to trade at $71.19 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.32% to 1.1383, while EUR/GBP rose 0.15% to 0.8951.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.14% at 96.45.