Belgium stocks higher at close of trade

Belgium stocks higher at close of trade

Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Financials, Utilities and Industrials sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 1.99%.

The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were ING Groep NV, which rose 5.21% or 0.540 points to trade at 10.905 at the close. Meanwhile, KBC added 3.74% or 1.745 points to end at 48.445 and NV Bekaert SA was up 3.01% or 1.08 points to 37.09 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were UCB, which fell 0.91% or 0.64 points to trade at 69.66 at the close. Proximus NV  declined 0.41% or 0.12 points to end at 30.29 and bpost NV  was down 0.25% or 0.06 points to 24.36.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 88 to 53 and 14 ended unchanged.

Shares in NV Bekaert SA rose to 3-years highs; rising 3.01% or 1.08 to 37.09.

Gold for June delivery was down 1.09% or 13.80 to $1247.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.78% or 0.33 to hit $41.84 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.78% or 0.35 to trade at $44.34 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.90% to 1.1280, while EUR/GBP fell 0.59% to 0.7935.

The US Dollar Index was up 0.78% at 94.75