Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Financials, Basic Materials and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 added 0.83%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were KBC (BR:KBC), which rose 4.78% or 2.065 points to trade at 45.230 at the close. Meanwhile, ING Groep NV (AS:ING) added 2.60% or 0.248 points to end at 9.794 and Umicore NV (BR:UMI) was up 1.93% or 0.94 points to 49.69 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG), which fell 1.90% or 0.935 points to trade at 48.250 at the close. Elia (BR:ELI) declined 1.29% or 0.630 points to end at 48.155 and Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA (BR:ABI) was down 1.17% or 1.35 points to 114.00.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 77 to 65 and 12 ended unchanged.
Shares in Umicore NV (BR:UMI) rose to 5-year highs; rising 1.93% or 0.94 to 49.69.
Gold for August delivery was down 1.02% or 13.75 to $1329.85 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 1.74% or 0.78 to hit $45.53 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 1.92% or 0.89 to trade at $47.15 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.23% to 1.1115, while EUR/GBP fell 1.26% to 0.8338.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.26% at 96.11.