Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Technology, Consumer Goods and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 added 1.12% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Umicore SA (BR:UMI), which rose 5.12% or 1.79 points to trade at 36.75 at the close. Meanwhile, ING Groep NV (AS:INGA) added 3.00% or 0.310 points to end at 10.644 and Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) was up 2.80% or 2.60 points to 95.54 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were UCB (BR:UCB), which fell 1.99% or 1.52 points to trade at 74.86 at the close. Etablissementen Franz Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) declined 0.74% or 0.46 points to end at 61.90 and Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (BR:ABI) was down 0.24% or 0.16 points to 65.54.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 83 to 31 and 15 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 1.42% or 18.15 to $1297.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 0.94% or 0.50 to hit $53.63 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.70% or 0.43 to trade at $61.52 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.90% to 1.1406, while EUR/GBP rose 0.13% to 0.8662.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.78% at 95.547.