Investing.com – Belgium stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Consumer Services, Financials and Utilities sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 declined 0.19%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG), which rose 3.57% or 2.240 points to trade at 65.000 at the close. Meanwhile, UCB (BR:UCB) added 1.91% or 1.23 points to end at 65.56 and NV Bekaert SA (BR:BEKB) was up 1.08% or 0.41 points to 39.01 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Ageas (BR:AGES), which fell 2.03% or 0.785 points to trade at 37.965 at the close. Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) declined 1.29% or 0.61 points to end at 46.65 and Ackermans V.Haaren (BR:ACKB) was down 1.13% or 1.50 points to 130.95.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 63 to 49 and 10 ended unchanged.
Shares in Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG) rose to all time highs; rising 3.57% or 2.240 to 65.000.
Gold for February delivery was up 1.54% or 17.95 to $1183.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February fell 0.28% or 0.15 to hit $53.11 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 0.25% or 0.14 to trade at $56.32 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 1.03% to 1.0596, while EUR/GBP rose 0.31% to 0.8537.
The US Dollar Index was down 1.00% at 101.46.