Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Construction and Materials, Software & Computers and Industrials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.45%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Ageas (BRU:AGES), which rose 1.63% or 0.545 points to trade at 33.950 at the close. Meanwhile, KBC (BRU:KBC) added 1.27% or 0.730 points to end at 58.290 and D'Ieteren (D) (BRU:IETB) was up 1.01% or 0.330 points to 32.950 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Telenet Group (BRU:TNET), which fell 1.31% or 0.67 points to trade at 50.50 at the close. UCB (BRU:UCB) declined 0.79% or 0.53 points to end at 66.82 and Bekaert (D) (BRU:BEKB) was down 0.44% or 0.11 points to 25.00.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 93 to 79 and 5 ended unchanged.
Shares in Ageas (BRU:AGES) rose to 3-year highs; up 1.63% or 0.545 to 33.950. Shares in KBC (BRU:KBC) rose to 5-year highs; rising 1.27% or 0.730 to 58.290.
Gold for June delivery was up 1.78% or 21.10 to $1204.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 4.10% or 1.95 to hit $49.55 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 3.09% or 1.71 to trade at $56.81 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.37% to 1.0773, while EUR/GBP rose 0.28% to 0.7263.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.30% at 98.39.