BEL 20 Holds Above 6,000 at 6,025.55 Points
Published on 11/05/2026 at 13:15 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSBEL 20 remains above 6,000
- The index stood at 6,025.55 points at 12:58 Berlin time, up 0.78 percent from the previous close.
- US midterm election results, lower oil prices and strong individual performances supported sentiment.
- Syensqo, Aperam, Argenx and UCB were among the morning gainers, while Sofina and Melexis lagged.
The BEL 20 remained firmly above the 6,000-point mark on Thursday. At 12:58 Berlin time, the index stood at 6,025.55 points, up 46.54 points or 0.78 percent from the previous close of 5,979.01 points. The reading was taken during the ongoing Brussels trading session and is an intraday level, not a closing value.
Election result supports European markets
Market sentiment was supported by the decisive Democratic victory in the US midterm elections. IEX, citing ABM Financial News, reported that the result had reduced some political and geopolitical risk priced into markets. The Dow Jones had gained 3 percent on Wednesday, according to the same report.
Lower energy prices added to the constructive tone. IEX reported that Brent crude had fallen by almost 9 percent on Wednesday and was trading near 95.80 US dollars per barrel on Thursday morning. The decline was linked in market commentary to hopes that a Democratic majority in Congress could increase pressure to end the war with Iran. Lower energy costs may reduce inflation pressure, although the extent and persistence of that effect remain uncertain.
Company news shapes the index
Belgian shares opened broadly higher. La Libre reported that the BEL 20 reached a new intraday record near the open, supported by Argenx, Syensqo and Aperam. The newspaper said 19 constituents were initially higher, with Melexis the sole decliner at that point.
By late morning, IEX reported gains of 2.3 percent for Syensqo, 2.0 percent for Aperam and up to 1.5 percent for Solvay and Montea. Argenx was up 1.4 percent and UCB 1.3 percent, while Sofina and Melexis were down by nearly 2 percent. Syensqo's third-quarter results were described as slightly better than expected, with underlying EBITDA rising sequentially by almost 3 percent to 320 million euros.
Bank of England decision ahead
Investors were also looking ahead to the Bank of England's interest-rate decision, which IEX reported was expected to involve a rise in the key rate from 3.75 percent to 4.00 percent. The next direction for the BEL 20 will depend on how markets balance the supportive political and energy-price signals against interest-rate expectations and the continuing flow of corporate results.
Further BEL 20 coverage is available on the BEL 20 topic page.
