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Belgian equities

close firmer

BRUSSELS: Belgian shares ended firmer on Wednesday, boosted by a firmer dollar and gains by bonds.

Dealers expected shares to get a lift from the start of a new two-week trading account on the forward market on Thursday, when players traditionally open new long positions.

They said the caution which prevailed in the past few days had evaporated due to the strength of the dollar. A break by the dollar above the 1.50 mark level would be seen as strongly bullish for the many listed export-oriented Belgian companies.

The Bel-20 ended 0.57 percent up at 1,696.52 after touching 1,703. Volume was just 2.1 billion francs.

Dollar-sensitive retailer Delhaize was the star of the day, up 1.6 percent at 1,406 francs and topping the volume charts with 262,200 shares traded.

Insurer Fortis AG added 25 francs at 3,800 before Thursday's release of 1995 earnings which are forecast to rise by 12 percent to 11.28 billion francs.

Steel maker Cockerill, also due to report 1995 earnings tomorrow, ended three francs higher at 175. Analysts forecast group net profit will surge to between 4.8 and 6.0 billion francs from 800 million in 1994.-Reuter