Amsterdam Exchange Climbs to Record High as ABN AMRO Soars
Amsterdam’s AEX index closed at a new record high of 961.51 points, up 0.3 percent, fueled by strong gains in financial stocks. ABN AMRO led the advance, rising 2.7 percent amid speculation of a potential takeover by CVC Capital Partners,which also saw a 2.6 percent increase. Inpost and ArcelorMittal both added 2 percent to their value.
The broader market faced headwinds from declines in Wolters Kluwer (-2.4 percent), and notable pullbacks in chip manufacturers Besi, ASMI, and ASML, alongside a 1.4 percent drop for Heineken.
The midkap index gained 0.7 percent, with Pharming leading the way, up almost 6 percent. Galapagos rose 4.7 percent following the proclamation of a “limited number of” non-binding bids for its cell therapy activities. alfen jumped nearly 7 percent after securing a substantial order for its battery systems.
Across Europe, the Belgian BEL20 edged up 0.2 percent, while the UK’s FTSE 100 outperformed with a 0.7 percent increase. France’s CAC 40 gained 0.2 percent, but Germany’s DAX fell 0.2 percent.
In the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.9 percent despite ongoing economic concerns.
Bond markets saw the yield on the 10-year US government bond rise by 2 basis points to 4.106 percent, while the German Bund yield edged lower to 2.699 percent. Commodity prices surged,with gold up 1.1 percent, silver gaining over 4 percent, and copper rising 3.1 percent.
The euro strengthened against the dollar,reaching 1.1746, marking the dollar’s worst week since July.
