Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Utilities, Basic Materials and Financials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.29%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were NV Bekaert SA (BR:BEKB), which rose 2.83% or 1.27 points to trade at 46.27 at the close. Meanwhile, Engie SA (PA:ENGIE) added 1.86% or 0.26 points to end at 13.98 and ING Groep NV (AS:INGA) was up 1.53% or 0.230 points to 15.270 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (BR:ABI), which fell 2.31% or 2.40 points to trade at 101.65 at the close. Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA (BR:GBLB) declined 1.52% or 1.32 points to end at 85.36 and Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) was down 0.86% or 0.28 points to 31.77.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 62 to 49 and 13 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for August delivery was down 1.10% or 14.25 to $1278.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July rose 0.42% or 0.19 to hit $45.91 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract rose 0.21% or 0.10 to trade at $48.16 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.42% to 1.1209, while EUR/GBP fell 0.18% to 0.8674.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.36% at 97.02.