Investing.com – Belgium stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Utilities, Basic Materials and Industrials sectors led shares lower.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 lost 0.47%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were KBC (BR:KBC), which rose 1.39% or 0.630 points to trade at 45.965 at the close. Meanwhile, NV Bekaert SA (BR:BEKB) added 0.98% or 0.35 points to end at 36.05 and UCB (BR:UCB) was up 0.85% or 0.57 points to 67.81 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Umicore NV (BR:UMI), which fell 3.50% or 1.53 points to trade at 42.22 at the close. ING Groep NV (AS:ING) declined 2.07% or 0.220 points to end at 10.410 and Engie SA (PA:ENGIE) was down 1.58% or 0.21 points to 13.43.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 76 to 71 and 8 ended unchanged.
Gold for June delivery was down 1.51% or 18.70 to $1216.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 3.68% or 1.41 to hit $36.93 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 3.89% or 1.57 to trade at $38.76 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 0.11% to 1.1393, while EUR/GBP rose 1.11% to 0.8013.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.03% at 94.62.