Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Food Producers, Software & Computers and Construction and Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.26%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were UCB (BRU:UCB), which rose 1.29% or 0.87 points to trade at 68.49 at the close. Meanwhile, Colruyt (D) (BRU:COLR) added 1.18% or 0.47 points to end at 40.16 and Solvay (BRU:SOLB) was up 0.71% or 0.95 points to 134.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Bekaert (D) (BRU:BEKB), which fell 1.38% or 0.35 points to trade at 25.35 at the close. Telenet Group (BRU:TNET) declined 1.36% or 0.69 points to end at 49.96 and D'Ieteren (D) (BRU:IETB) was down 1.32% or 0.435 points to 32.460.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 98 to 68 and 7 ended unchanged.
Gold for April delivery was down 0.44% or 5.30 to $1199.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 2.90% or 1.49 to hit $49.94 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 2.44% or 1.45 to trade at $57.74 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.30% to 1.0917, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.00% to 0.7330.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.11% at 97.43.