Bel20 stock index has best start to the year since 2019
The Bel20, the index of Belgium’s 20 biggest listed companies, rose by 6 per cent in January. The Belgian stock index is thus performing twice as well as the European average. This is the best start to the year in seven years for the Bel20, reported De Tijd.
European stock markets had a remarkably strong January. The broad Stoxx Europe 600 Index posted a monthly gain of 3.3 per cent, marking its seventh consecutive month in the green. This is the longest uninterrupted winning streak since the summer of 2021.
Brussels performed excellently. The Bel20 rose by 6 per cent in January, which is almost double the European average. This marks the best start to the year since 2019 for the Brussels stock index, according to De Tijd.
Strong performances by amongst others D'Ieteren, Lotus Bakeries and Umicore contributed to the positive momentum. Brussels is performing in line with the Amsterdam AEX (+5.4%) and is significantly outperforming the French CAC40 (-0.01%) and the German DAX (+0.3%).
As was the case last year, the best-performing European stock markets are found in Southern and Eastern Europe. The stock markets of Bulgaria (+19%), Hungary (+18%), Romania (+11%), Slovenia (+11%) and Athens (+9%) have had the strongest start to the year.
On the last trading day of the month, the European rally received additional support from encouraging corporate results, including those of Adidas and Swatch, and from stronger macroeconomic figures. According to Eurostat, eurozone GDP grew by 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, exceeding expectations, with positive surprises in Germany, Italy and Spain.
Illustration © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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