Netherlands equities ended the trading day in positive territory on Thursday as strength in the Technology, Basic Materials and Oil & Gas sectors pushed the benchmark higher.
At the close in Amsterdam the AEX index advanced 1.06%, reaching a new all-time high.
Session leaders and laggards
The session's strongest performers included ASM International NV (AS:ASMI), which climbed 7.39% - a 67.00 point increase - to finish at 973.60. BE Semiconductor Industries NV (AS:BESI) rose 6.61%, or 19.10 points, to close at 307.90. ASML Holding NV (AS:ASML) also posted solid gains, up 4.56% or 68.80 points to end the day at 1,576.00.
On the downside, Wolters Kluwer (AS:WLSNc) was the weakest blue-chip name, falling 3.80% or 2.40 points to 60.68 at the close. Relx PLC (AS:REL) slipped 3.37% - a 1.00 point loss - to finish at 28.64. Adyen NV (AS:ADYEN) declined 2.23% or 17.90 points to trade at 785.20 by the close of trade.
Market breadth favored advancers: 55 stocks rose versus 43 that fell, while 7 shares finished unchanged on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
Notable record levels and lows
Several large-cap technology names reached fresh all-time highs during the session. Shares of ASM International NV, BE Semiconductor Industries NV and ASML Holding NV each recorded all-time highs, with closing prices of 973.60, 307.90 and 1,576.00 respectively. In contrast, Adyen NV moved to a 52-week low, closing at 785.20.
The AEX Volatility measure, which tracks implied volatility in AEX options, was unchanged on the day - at 21.09 (0.00% change).
Commodities and currencies
Crude oil for July delivery finished higher, up 0.93% or 0.84 to $90.87 per barrel. Brent oil for August delivery rose 0.34% or 0.32 to $93.42 per barrel. August Gold Futures fell 0.50% or 20.54, trading at $4,112.76 a troy ounce at the close.
In foreign exchange, EUR/USD was unchanged 0.21% to 1.15, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.02% to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures moved up 0.31% to 100.25.
Intraday context
The rally in the AEX was concentrated among technology and materials names, with oil and gas also contributing to the upside. Despite gains among a number of large caps, a subset of companies in professional information services and payments weighed on the index as reflected by declines in Relx PLC, Wolters Kluwer and Adyen NV.
Overall, the session closed with the AEX higher and volatility measures steady, while commodity prices and currency pairs showed mixed moves.