Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 gained 0.49% to hit a new 52-week high.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (BR:ABI), which rose 1.93% or 1.95 points to trade at 102.90 at the close. Meanwhile, Umicore NV (BR:UMI) added 1.84% or 0.93 points to end at 51.55 and Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) was up 1.76% or 0.54 points to 31.14 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR), which fell 1.29% or 0.58 points to trade at 44.48 at the close. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV (AS:AD) declined 0.86% or 0.17 points to end at 20.07 and Ackermans V.Haaren (BR:ACKB) was down 0.07% or 0.10 points to 145.70.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 66 to 42 and 9 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 2.27% or 27.30 to $1228.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 0.39% or 0.19 to hit $48.67 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 0.29% or 0.15 to trade at $51.66 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.03% to 1.0735, while EUR/GBP fell 0.65% to 0.8676.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.16% at 100.20.