Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Financials, Industrials and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 added 1.90%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were ING Groep NV (AS:ING), which rose 5.69% or 0.491 points to trade at 9.121 at the close. Meanwhile, KBC (BR:KBC) added 5.19% or 2.065 points to end at 41.885 and Ageas (BR:AGES) was up 2.96% or 0.855 points to 29.770 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ackermans V.Haaren (BR:ACKB), which fell 5.55% or 5.90 points to trade at 100.50 at the close. Elia (BR:ELI) declined 1.80% or 0.890 points to end at 48.540 and Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) was up 0.04% or 0.01 points to 28.25.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 113 to 28 and 8 ended unchanged.
Shares in Ackermans V.Haaren (BR:ACKB) fell to 52-week lows; falling 5.55% or 5.90 to 100.50.
Gold for August delivery was down 0.54% or 7.40 to $1354.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 0.35% or 0.16 to hit $45.30 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 0.56% or 0.26 to trade at $46.66 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.24% to 1.1037, while EUR/GBP fell 0.48% to 0.8527.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.15% at 96.47.