Lisbon, March 20, 2026 (Lusa) - The Lisbon stock market was trading higher on Friday, with Jeronimo Martins rising 2.40% to €20.44 and Galp falling 3.07% to €21.48.
Around 9:30 a.m. in Lisbon, the PSI (Portuguese Stock Index) maintained its opening trend and advanced 0.36% to 8,979.08 points, with nine companies rising, six falling and one unchanged (Semapa at €20.90).
On Wednesday, Jerónimo Martins announced that its net profit rose 7.9% last year, compared to 2024, to €646 million.
In 2025, consolidated sales of the owner of the Pingo Doce, Biedronka and Ara retail chains rose 7.6% (+6.7% at constant exchange rates) to €35.991 billion.
Jerónimo Martins shares were followed by those of EDP Renováveis, BCP and Ibersol, which rose 1.90% to €13.40, 1.56% to €0.81 and 1.42% to €10.75, respectively.
Shares in CTT, EDP and Corticeira Amorim advanced 0.84% to €5.99, 0.60% to €4.36 and 0.48% to €6.26.
The other two shares also gaining value were Mota-Engil (0.38% to €4.20) and REN (0.26% to €3.88).
Conversely, besides Galp, Navigator, Teixeira Duarte and Sonae saw their prices fall by 0.87% to €3.19, 0.73% to €0.41 and 0.44% to €1.83, respectively.
More moderately, NOS and Altri fell 0.37% to €5.37 and 0.33% to €4.53.
Main European stock markets opened higher on Friday after finishing sharply lower on Thursday in response to the fall in oil prices, which will continue to mark the direction of the markets due to the war in Iran.
Stock markets are digesting the decisions of central banks to maintain interest rates: the US Federal Reserve (Fed) at 3.50%-3.75% and the European Central Bank (ECB) at 2%, amid inflationary pressure from the conflict in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, governments are beginning to take measures amid the economic drift caused by the war in Iran.
For its part, the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommended 10 measures, including three additional remote-working days, reducing business flights by 40%, and offering free public transport to discourage the use of private cars.
The price of Brent crude, the benchmark for Europe, for May delivery, fell 1.66% to $106.85.
Natural gas for April delivery on the Dutch TTF market, the European benchmark, also fell 1.70% to €60.800 per megawatt-hour (MWh), compared to €61.852 on Thursday.
Precious metals recorded gains, with gold rising 1.70% and silver up 0.95%.
US index futures point to gains of 0.24% for the Nasdaq and 0.27% for the Dow Jones.
The euro remained stable, falling 0.09% to $1.1578 on the Frankfurt currency market, compared to $1.1589 on Thursday.
MC/ LYT // ADB.
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