Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Healthcare, Utilities and Telecoms sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 gained 0.87%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were UCB (BR:UCB), which rose 3.92% or 2.58 points to trade at 68.48 at the close. Meanwhile, KBC (BR:KBC) added 2.26% or 1.660 points to end at 75.060 and Proximus NV (BR:PROX) was up 1.03% or 0.27 points to 26.37 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX), which fell 5.05% or 1.26 points to trade at 23.68 at the close. Telenet Group (BR:TNET) declined 0.53% or 0.30 points to end at 55.85 and Umicore SA (BR:UMI) was down 0.45% or 0.21 points to 46.88.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 57 to 45 and 21 ended unchanged.
Shares in Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) fell to 3-years lows; down 5.05% or 1.26 to 23.68.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.06% or 0.80 to $1332.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April rose 2.12% or 1.31 to hit $62.99 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 1.65% or 1.08 to trade at $66.50 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.40% to 1.2332, while EUR/GBP rose 0.16% to 0.8840.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.38% at 89.69.