Key Highlights
- SUKUK, the Lunate JP Morgan Global Sukuk ETF, was the busiest ETF board name relative to its own seven-day average volume at 335.24 times that average, on 452,444 shares (AED 1.66m), and closed 0.27% higher on the day.
- USGRWTH, the Lunate S&P US Shariah Growth ETF, ranked 1st by value on the ETF board at AED 1.93m, closed 0.78% higher on the day and traded 58.73 times its seven-day average volume; it carries AED 1.85m of net weekly buying pressure.
- UAED, the Lunate S&P UAE UCITS ETF, closed 1.53% higher on the day on AED 525.3k, 67.82 times its seven-day average volume, and is up 2.39% over the week from its 2026-09-10 base.
- BONDAE, the Lunate JP Morgan UAE Bond UCITS ETF, was the board's largest decliner among sizeable prints, closing 0.28% lower on the day on AED 803.0k, 56.08 times its average volume.
- Exchange-wide turnover was AED 1.18bn, 16.1% higher than the previous session (2026-09-16, when AED 1.01bn traded).
- ALDAR, Al Dar Properties, traded AED 189.89m, 1st by value on the equity board, closing 2.39% higher on the day on 2.02 times its seven-day average volume.
- BOS, Bank Of Sharjah, was the equity board's best one-day performer at +5.71% on AED 9.09m, and is up 16.35% over the week from its 2026-09-10 base.
Market Overview
The story of Thursday's session on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was concentration of ETF trading in a handful of large prints at extraordinary multiples of normal volume. The board's four biggest names by value, USGRWTH, the Lunate S&P US Shariah Growth ETF, SUKUK, the Lunate JP Morgan Global Sukuk ETF, BONDAE, the Lunate JP Morgan UAE Bond UCITS ETF, and UAED, the Lunate S&P UAE UCITS ETF, each traded at between roughly 56 and 335 times their own seven-day averages, and the board as a whole turned over AED 5.49m. On the ETF board, 17 names carry positive weekly net pressure and 7 negative.
The equity side did not fully match that tone. Exchange-wide turnover of AED 1.18bn was 16.1% higher than the previous session and 0.9% above the average of the 9 prior sessions in the feed, yet of the 69 equities measured against the preceding session, 32 closed lower, 26 closed higher and 11 closed unchanged, with 2 further names excluded for lacking a previous-session close. Exchange-wide, AED 4.25m more value crossed at the bid than at the ask, so the higher activity was not one-way demand.
ETFs
USGRWTH led the board by value, trading AED 1.93m on 214,514 shares, 58.73 times its seven-day average volume of 3,653 shares. It closed 0.78% higher on the day, is flat over the week from its 2026-09-10 base, and carries AED 1.85m of net weekly buying pressure, the largest positive weekly figure on the board.
SUKUK was the session's standout activity signal. The fund traded AED 1.66m on 452,444 shares, 335.24 times its seven-day average volume of 1,350 shares, and closed 0.27% higher on the day while sitting 0.27% lower over the week from its 2026-09-10 base. The heavy turn in a global sukuk tracker came in the session after the US Federal Reserve delivered a widely expected interest rate hike, a backdrop that keeps fixed income products in focus. BONDAE told the softer half of the fixed income story, closing 0.28% lower on the day on AED 803.0k, 56.08 times its average volume, and down 0.56% over the week from its 2026-09-09 base, though it still carries AED 602.2k of net weekly buying pressure.
The home-market trackers were firm. UAED closed 1.53% higher on the day on AED 525.3k, 67.82 times its average volume, while UAEA, the Lunate S&P UAE Shariah ETF, added 0.11% on AED 255.1k. CHADX15, the Lunate FTSE ADX 15 ETF, closed unchanged on the day but is up 2.44% over the week from its 2026-09-10 base, extending the recovery flagged in Wednesday's Market Wrap; TURKI, Wednesday's problem name, did not trade at all on Thursday.
Further down the board, AIPOWR, the Boreas S&P AI Data Power & Infrastructure UCITS ETF, closed 1.36% higher on the day on just AED 23.6k, 0.358 times its average volume, and remains down 3.45% over the week alongside AED 109.3k of net weekly selling pressure, a pattern consistent with renewed doubts about the AI trade hitting chip-related ETFs. The board's best one-day performer, LUXURY, the Boreas S&P Absolute Luxury UCITS ETF, rose 1.75%, though on only AED 9.2k; the worst, KWTI, the Lunate S&P Kuwait Shariah ETF, fell 1.49% on AED 517. Of the 16 ETFs with a previous-session base, 8 closed higher, 6 lower and 2 unchanged, with 4 further traded names excluded because their prior close is older than the preceding session.
Equities
Equity strength was concentrated at the top of the board. ALDAR, Al Dar Properties, traded AED 189.89m, 1st by value, closing 2.39% higher on the day on 2.02 times its seven-day average volume, and is up 4.23% over the week with AED 34.89m of net weekly buying pressure. FAB, First Abu Dhabi Bank, rose 1.73% on AED 86.33m, 2POINTZERO, Two Point Zero Group PJSC, gained 3.62% on AED 81.13m with AED 50.25m of net weekly buying pressure, and SPACE42, SPACE42 PLC, added 2.86% and is up 8.54% over the week from its 2026-09-10 base. BOS, Bank Of Sharjah, was the best one-day performer at +5.71% on AED 9.09m.
The weak spots sat close behind. FERTIGLB, Fertiglobe plc, traded AED 87.17m at 3.59 times its average volume and, despite closing 0.80% higher on the day, is down 10.64% over the week from its 2026-09-10 base with AED 10.47m of net weekly selling pressure. ESHRAQ, ESHRAQ INVESTMENTS PJSC, was the largest decliner among sizeable names, closing 3.57% lower on AED 20.41m. ADNOCDRILL, ADNOC Drilling Company PJSC, ended 0.69% lower and carries AED 24.16m of net weekly selling pressure, while APEX, APEX INVESTMENT PJSC, carries AED 28.95m despite a 0.53% daily gain.
Weekly pressure on the equity board is almost balanced, at 46 names positive and 45 negative. Whether FERTIGLB stabilises against its 2026-09-10 base is the clearest single figure to watch into Monday's session.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by our Editorial staff before publication. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Please review the relevant securities website and factsheets before making any investment decision. See our full disclosures.