Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Healthcare, Consumer Services and Telecoms sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 gained 1.42%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG), which rose 5.22% or 2.370 points to trade at 47.780 at the close. Meanwhile, UCB (BR:UCB) added 4.06% or 2.68 points to end at 68.61 and Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) was up 2.25% or 1.15 points to 52.29 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ackermans V.Haaren (BR:ACKB), which fell 3.05% or 3.60 points to trade at 114.40 at the close. NV Bekaert SA (BR:BEKB) declined 0.63% or 0.24 points to end at 37.77 and Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) was up 0.37% or 0.32 points to 86.36.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 106 to 42 and 9 ended unchanged.
Shares in Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) rose to all time highs; up 2.25% or 1.15 to 52.29.
Gold for June delivery was down 0.24% or 2.95 to $1251.85 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.25% or 0.12 to hit $48.55 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract fell 0.16% or 0.08 to trade at $48.73 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.09% to 1.1212, while EUR/GBP rose 0.78% to 0.7728.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.10% at 95.40.