Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Technology and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.06% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Umicore NV (BR:UMI), which rose 1.08% or 0.58 points to trade at 54.26 at the close. Meanwhile, Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG) added 0.64% or 0.390 points to end at 61.380 and Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) was up 0.54% or 0.60 points to 112.30 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Telenet Group (BR:TNET), which fell 0.81% or 0.43 points to trade at 52.62 at the close. Proximus NV (BR:PROX) declined 0.73% or 0.20 points to end at 27.02 and Ageas (BR:AGES) was down 0.57% or 0.215 points to 37.630.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 57 to 46 and 14 ended unchanged.
Shares in Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 0.54% or 0.60 to 112.30.
Gold for February delivery was up 0.06% or 0.65 to $1139.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 0.48% or 0.26 to hit $54.16 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.39% or 0.22 to trade at $57.05 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 0.73% to 1.0379, while EUR/GBP fell 0.34% to 0.8498.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.51% at 103.53.