Belgium Stocks Close Lower; BEL 20 Declines 0.98%

Belgium’s stock market closed lower on Friday, primarily affected by declines in various sectors.

By the end of trading in Brussels, the market index had dropped by 0.98%.

Among the day’s top performers was UCB SA, which saw an increase of 1.66% or 2.65 points, closing at 162.70. Cofinimmo SA also posted gains, rising 0.38% or 0.25 points to finish at 66.40. In contrast, Argen-X saw a slight decrease of 0.04% or 0.20 points, closing at 482.00.

On the other hand, Umicore SA was the day’s biggest loser, plummeting 7.24% or 0.82 points, ending at 10.51. Syensqo SA fell 4.40% or 3.28 points to 71.33, while Melexis NV declined by 3.70% or 2.90 points, finishing at 75.45.

Overall, declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange, with 67 losses compared to 26 gains; 15 stocks remained unchanged.

In commodities, gold futures for December delivery rose by 1.21% or 31.60, reaching $2,646.20 per troy ounce. Crude oil prices for November delivery dropped 0.35% or 0.25, settling at $70.91 per barrel, while the November Brent oil contract decreased by 0.65% or 0.49, trading at $74.39 per barrel.

In currency markets, the EUR/USD remained steady at 1.12, with EUR/GBP slightly up by 0.18% to 0.84. The US Dollar Index Futures saw an increase of 0.13%, reaching 100.45.