Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Consumer Services, Utilities and Technology Hardware & Equipment sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 added 2.97%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Aperam SA (AS:APAM), which rose 8.78% or 1.95 points to trade at 24.15 at the close. Meanwhile, Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG) added 6.61% or 5.240 points to end at 84.500 and Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) was up 5.52% or 4.70 points to 89.82 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Proximus NV (BR:PROX), which rose 0.04% or 0.01 points to trade at 23.91 at the close. Cofinimmo SA (BR:COFB) added 0.27% or 0.30 points to end at 109.80 and Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) was up 0.35% or 0.06 points to 17.36.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 86 to 24 and 15 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.63% or 8.10 to $1286.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 1.97% or 0.93 to hit $48.02 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 2.00% or 1.12 to trade at $57.07 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.03% to 1.1395, while EUR/GBP fell 0.68% to 0.8956.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.09% at 95.790.