Finland's main equity index closed higher on Wednesday as a handful of sectors pushed markets up, with the OMX Helsinki 25 finishing the day 0.24% stronger to record a new all-time high.
Sector performance was led by Consumer Services, Utilities and Telecoms, which collectively supported the upside into the close in Helsinki. Market participation was mixed: 84 stocks advanced, 75 declined and 30 finished unchanged on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
The session's top performers within the OMX Helsinki 25 included:
- Mandatum Oyj (HE:MANTA) - rose 2.62% or 0.17 points to close at 6.82.
- SSAB AB B (HE:SSABBH) - gained 1.93% or 0.14 points to finish at 7.51.
- Nokia Oyj (HE:NOKIA) - advanced 1.77% or 0.11 points to end the session at 6.44.
On the downside, notable laggards were:
- Huhtamaki Oyj (HE:HUH1V) - declined 1.88% or 0.60 points to close at 31.30.
- KONE Oyj (HE:KNEBV) - fell 1.82% or 1.16 points to finish at 62.74.
- Hiab Oyj (HE:HIAB) - slipped 1.39% or 0.68 points to end at 48.40.
Commodity prices recorded modest moves during the trading day. Brent oil for May delivery inched up 0.10% or 0.07 to $70.65 a barrel, while crude oil for April delivery eased 0.21% or 0.14 to $65.49 a barrel. Precious metals saw a larger move as April Gold Futures climbed 1.08% or 55.89 to trade at 5,232.19 a troy ounce.
Currency markets were relatively steady in the session. The euro was essentially unchanged against the dollar, with EUR/USD moving 0.26% to 1.18, and EUR/GBP was unchanged at 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures traded lower by 0.14% at 97.64.
The close left the broader Helsinki market with a modest upward bias and a set of sector leaders that outperformed the wider index. The trading day also featured small but notable shifts in energy, precious metals and FX markets that accompanied the equity moves into the close.