BEL 20 drops more than 3 per cent in global market sell-off

The Brussels stock exchange also felt the selling wave that hit stock markets around the world on Monday due to fears of recession. At the close of trading, the BEL 20 index was down 3.15 per cent.

Of the twenty stocks included in the index, which tracks the performance of the most capitalised and liquid stocks traded in Belgium, only Melexis managed to keep its head above water.

At its lowest point of the day at 15.00, the BEL 20 index lost 4.69 per cent, after which it recovered somewhat. Three of the 20 stocks in the BEL20 index had lost more than 4 per cent at the close of trading

Elsewhere in Europe, stock markets also fell sharply on Monday on fears of a recession in the United States. Some of the losses were recovered in the afternoon. 

The Paris stock exchange eventually closed 1.42 per cent lower, its lowest level since November. London closed down 2.04 per cent, Frankfurt 1.82 per cent and Milan 2.27 per cent. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index dropped 2.17 per cent.

^{© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM}