Finnish equities finished the trading day weaker on Thursday, with the OMX Helsinki 25 slipping 1.35% to register a fresh one-month low at the close in Helsinki. Losses were concentrated in the Technology, Utilities and Basic Materials sectors, which contributed to the index decline.
Top and bottom movers
Among the index constituents, Nokian Renkaat Oyj (HE:TYRES) was the session's top performer, edging up 0.56% - a gain of 0.07 points - to finish at 12.48. Huhtamaki Oyj (HE:HUH1V) added 0.37% or 0.10 points to end at 27.14, while Elisa Oyj (HE:ELISA) rose 0.32% or 0.12 points to close at 38.00.
On the downside, TietoEVRY Corp (HE:TIETO) posted the steepest slide, falling 6.99% or 1.42 points to close at 18.90. SSAB AB B (HE:SSABBH) dropped 5.14% or 0.47 points to 8.60, and Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) declined 3.06% or 0.18 points to finish at 5.70.
Market breadth
Decliners substantially outnumbered advancers on the Helsinki exchange, with 117 stocks down, 54 advancing and 20 ending unchanged. The imbalance underscored the broad-based selling that pushed the headline index lower.
Commodities and currencies
Commodities traded lower alongside equities. Brent oil for August delivery fell 2.40% - down $1.91 - to $77.64 a barrel. US crude for July delivery slipped 2.70% or $2.07 to $74.72 a barrel. The August Gold Futures contract declined 3.08% or 134.95 to trade at $4,246.45 a troy ounce.
In foreign exchange, EUR/USD was quoted at 1.15, described as unchanged 0.28% in the session, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.17% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures gained 0.65% to trade at 100.51, indicating a stronger dollar in futures markets.
Overall, the trading day was marked by broad declines across key sectors and falls in major commodities, while dollar strength was visible in futures trading. The mix of sector-specific weakness and softer commodity prices coincided with the market's move to a one-month low for the OMX Helsinki 25.