Spain's IBEX 35 Closes with Minor Gains, Led by Financials

Spain's benchmark IBEX 35 index edged higher on Friday, closing with a modest gain as strength in key sectors offset wider market pressure. The index was lifted primarily by positive performance in the Financial Services & Real Estate, Telecoms & IT, and Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic sectors.

Market Performance

At the close of trading in Madrid, the IBEX 35 was up 0.13%, according to market data. However, the session's advance was narrow, as falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Madrid Stock Exchange by a margin of 110 to 79, while 24 stocks finished the day unchanged.

Top Movers

Several companies stood out, influencing the index's direction. The session's top performers included:

• Unicaja Banco SA (BME:UNI), which rose 2.27% to trade at 3.33.
• ArcelorMittal SA (BME:MTS), adding 2.22% to end at 60.82.
• Endesa SA (BME:ELE), which gained 1.70% to close at 42.41, a new all-time high for the utility company.

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On the downside, the worst performers were led by Acciona and its renewable energy unit:

• Acciona (BME:ANA) fell 5.39% to close at 238.60.
• Corporacion Acciona Energias Renovables SA (BME:ANE) declined 3.64%.
• Grifols SA (BME:GRLS) was down 3.32%.

Broader Markets

In the commodities space, energy prices advanced while precious metals declined. Crude oil for September delivery rose 1.11% to $84.52 a barrel, and the October Brent contract was up 0.62%. In contrast, Gold Futures for August delivery fell 1.51% to $4,038.00 a troy ounce.

In foreign exchange, the EUR/USD pair was little changed, while the U.S. Dollar Index Futures, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, was up 0.22%.