Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Industrials and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 gained 0.66%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG), which rose 3.49% or 2.720 points to trade at 80.600 at the close. Meanwhile, Umicore SA (BR:UMI) added 2.93% or 1.17 points to end at 40.87 and Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) was up 1.08% or 0.30 points to 28.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were UCB (BR:UCB), which fell 0.96% or 0.64 points to trade at 66.24 at the close. Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) declined 0.23% or 0.10 points to end at 43.33 and Ackermans V.Haaren (BR:ACKB) was up 0.14% or 0.20 points to 145.60.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 80 to 31 and 12 ended unchanged.
Shares in Umicore SA (BR:UMI) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 2.93% or 1.17 to 40.87.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.14% or 1.90 to $1318.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 1.82% or 1.10 to hit $61.47 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 1.58% or 1.05 to trade at $67.62 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.22% to 1.2031, while EUR/GBP rose 0.25% to 0.8895.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.24% at 91.78.