Stocks Fall at Close
May 08, 2011
After trading virtually flat all day, some scattered trading in baskets of shares underlying the Bel-20 Index of leading Belgian shares just before the closing bell sent the Index tumbling to close 8.51 lower at 1,759.02. Volume was a thin 1.2 billion Belgian francs. Holding company Group Bouie Florencio sank heavily seconds before the close of trade when a basket trade put 12 of its shares into an empty market, sending its price plummeting 80 Belgian francs to close at 3810 francs. Energy construction and distribution group Choate had the biggest rise of the day, ending up 80 francs at 4700 francs. Harkins -- the international investment arm of energy holding company Tractebel -- last week finalized its buy of Kazakhstan energy company Almatyenergo. Petrochemical group Petrofina led volume with 167 million francs of shares traded. It fell 50 francs to 9770 francs as investors took profits on last week's rally.
