Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Beverage, Consumer Goods and Financials sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 gained 2.25%.
The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were KBC (BR:KBC), which rose 5.56% or 2.780 points to trade at 52.790 at the close. Meanwhile, DIeteren SA (BR:IETB) added 3.72% or 1.080 points to end at 30.100 and Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) was up 3.66% or 1.74 points to 49.19 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were UCB (BR:UCB), which fell 1.54% or 1.23 points to trade at 78.62 at the close. Delta Lloyd (AS:DLL) added 0.15% or 0.01 points to end at 5.44 and Solvay SA (BR:SOLB) was up 0.66% or 0.50 points to 76.09.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 116 to 32 and 8 ended unchanged.
Shares in Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (BR:COLR) rose to 5-year highs; up 3.66% or 1.74 to 49.19.
Gold for February delivery was up 0.05% or 0.60 to $1116.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 0.26% or 0.09 to hit $33.30 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract rose 1.98% or 0.69 to trade at $35.49 a barrel.
EUR/USD was down 1.04% to 1.0826, while EUR/GBP rose 0.22% to 0.7635.
The US Dollar Index was up 1.14% at 99.74.