Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Financials and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.27%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Umicore NV (BR:UMI), which rose 2.99% or 1.64 points to trade at 56.53 at the close. Meanwhile, Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) added 1.94% or 2.05 points to end at 107.75 and KBC (BR:KBC) was up 1.18% or 0.660 points to 56.580 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV (AS:AD), which fell 1.64% or 0.31 points to trade at 18.61 at the close. Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) declined 1.58% or 0.77 points to end at 47.69 and UCB (BR:UCB) was down 1.30% or 0.80 points to 60.70.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 75 to 74 and 11 ended unchanged.
Shares in Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) rose to 52-week highs; rising 1.94% or 2.05 to 107.75.
Gold for February delivery was down 1.35% or 16.10 to $1174.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 8.47% or 3.83 to hit $49.06 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract rose 8.79% or 4.16 to trade at $51.48 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.65% to 1.0581, while EUR/GBP fell 0.52% to 0.8481.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.71% at 101.70.