Investing.com – Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Healthcare , Utilities and Banking sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.23%.

The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Cofinimmo SA (EBR: COFB ), which rose 2.21% or 1.15 points to trade at 53.30 at the close. Meanwhile, Aedifica (EBR: AOO ) added 1.94% or 1.05 points to end at 55.25 and Lotus Bakeries (EBR: LOTB ) was up 1.69% or 180.00 points to 10,840.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Melexis NV (EBR: MLXS ), which fell 3.01% or 1.70 points to trade at 54.85 at the close. Syensqo SA (EBR: SYENS ) declined 1.30% or 0.92 points to end at 69.70 and D’Ieteren NV (EBR: IETB ) was down 0.92% or 1.50 points to 161.90.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 50 to 43 and 14 ended unchanged.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 1.39% or 36.34 to $2,644.44 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 1.77% or 1.25 to hit $69.33 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract fell 0.12% or 0.09 to trade at $72.79 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.67% to 1.04, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.05% to 0.83.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.66% at 107.44.