Investing.com – Belgium stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Healthcare, Financials and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 lost 0.22%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were bpost NV (BR:BPOST), which rose 3.35% or 0.70 points to trade at 21.72 at the close. Meanwhile, Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) added 2.27% or 0.56 points to end at 25.46 and Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV (AS:AD) was up 2.13% or 0.40 points to 18.98 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were NV Bekaert SA (BR:BEKB), which fell 4.46% or 1.85 points to trade at 39.67 at the close. UCB (BR:UCB) declined 3.94% or 2.32 points to end at 56.50 and KBC (BR:KBC) was down 3.21% or 1.970 points to 59.310.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 64 to 48 and 11 ended unchanged.
Shares in UCB (BR:UCB) fell to 52-week lows; losing 3.94% or 2.32 to 56.50.
Gold for February delivery was down 1.10% or 12.90 to $1159.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 1.24% or 0.63 to hit $51.47 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 0.48% or 0.26 to trade at $54.15 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.79% to 1.0533, while EUR/GBP fell 0.78% to 0.8375.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.64% at 101.76.