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ADX ETFs close mostly higher as equity turnover jumps 55.8% amid broad declines. ADX market wrap for September 18, 2026

Abu Dhabi's ETF board diverged from a heavy, bid-weighted equity session on Friday. Of the 15 ETFs with a one-day base, 10 closed higher, led by QUANTM at +5.05%, while exchange turnover rose 55.8% to AED 1.83bn and 32 of 68 measured equities ended lower, with the largest banks all down.

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ADX ETFs close mostly higher as equity turnover jumps 55.8% amid broad declines. ADX market wrap for September 18, 2026

Key Highlights

  • USGRWTH, the Lunate S&P US Shariah Growth ETF, led the ETF board by value at AED 64.9k and closed 1.56% higher on the day; it carries AED 1.91m of net weekly buying pressure, the board's largest.
  • QUANTM, the Boreas Solactive Quantum Computing UCITS ETF Share Class B Distributing, was the ETF board's best one-day performer at +5.05% on AED 37.2k, at 1.36 times its seven-day average volume.
  • TURKI, the Lunate S&P Turkey Shariah ETF, is down 7.24% over the week from its 2026-09-10 base, though it traded just AED 912 on Friday.
  • Exchange-wide turnover was AED 1.83bn across 92 active tickers, 55.8% higher than the previous session's AED 1.18bn.
  • Exchange-wide, AED 72.18m more value crossed at the bid than at the ask, a one-day measure of where executions printed.
  • IHC, the International Holding Company PJSC, was the equity board's best one-day performer at +4.77% on AED 88.46m.
  • NMDCENR, NMDC Energy P.J.S.C, topped the equity board at AED 169.80m, closing 2.08% lower on the day at 20.12 times its seven-day average volume.

Market Overview

Friday's session on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was activity-driven and tilted lower. Turnover of AED 1.83bn was 55.8% above Thursday's AED 1.18bn and 54.2% above the average of the 9 prior sessions in the feed, yet AED 72.18m more value crossed at the bid than at the ask and, of the 68 equities measured against the previous close, 32 ended lower against 27 higher and 9 unchanged. The ETF board pulled the other way: of the 15 ETFs with a one-day base, 10 closed higher and only 3 lower, with USGRWTH, the Lunate S&P US Shariah Growth ETF, leading the board by value at AED 64.9k and closing 1.56% higher.

The tension is one of scale and direction. The ETF board's positive breadth sat on just AED 457.7k of total value, a rounding error against the AED 1.83bn equity board, where the decline was concentrated in the largest names by value. The banks and heavyweight NMDC Energy all closed lower on elevated volume, while IHC, the International Holding Company PJSC, gained 4.77% and prevented a uniformly negative day at the top of the board.

ETFs

USGRWTH, the Lunate S&P US Shariah Growth ETF, again led the board by value, at AED 64.9k on 7,144 shares, closing 1.56% higher on the day and up 1.67% over the week from its 2026-09-11 base. It carries AED 1.91m of net weekly buying pressure, the standout figure on a board where 17 names carry positive weekly net pressure and 7 negative. That extends the pattern from Thursday's wrap, where USGRWTH also topped the board by value, albeit at a much larger AED 1.93m.

CHADX15, the Lunate FTSE ADX 15 ETF, ranked second by value at AED 47.3k, closing 0.79% lower on the day at 1.53 times its seven-day average volume, one of the few local trackers to fall alongside the equity board. UAEA, the Lunate S&P UAE Shariah ETF, went the other way, up 0.67% on the day and 2.26% over the week from its 2026-09-11 base, with AED 241.4k of net weekly buying pressure; UAED, the Lunate S&P UAE UCITS ETF, eased 0.67% on the day but carries AED 531.2k of net weekly buying pressure.

The board's best one-day performer was QUANTM, the Boreas Solactive Quantum Computing UCITS ETF Share Class B Distributing, at +5.05% on AED 37.2k and 1.36 times its average volume, though it carries AED 79.1k of net weekly selling pressure. Other technology-linked funds followed: AIPOWR, the Boreas S&P AI Data Power & Infrastructure UCITS ETF, and AGIX, the KraneShares Public-Private AI & Technology ETF, each closed 1.79% higher on the day, consistent with the rebound in the artificial intelligence trade that drove unusually bullish options activity on Thursday.

Among notable mentions, GRMNY, the Lunate S&P Germany UCITS ETF, normally near dormant, was the busiest name against its own average at 42.07 times its seven-day average volume, though on just AED 46.0k, and has no one-day move as its most recent prior close is 2026-09-14. TURKI, the Lunate S&P Turkey Shariah ETF, is down 7.24% over the week from its 2026-09-10 base on a trivial AED 912 print, a move that sits alongside a 5.5% fall in Turkish stocks as a fund redemption crisis deepens and Ankara's move to liquidate funds at the centre of a scheme held by 300,000 investors. SUKUK, the Lunate JP Morgan Global Sukuk ETF, was the board's worst performer at -0.82% on 1 share (AED 4), a sharp contrast with Thursday, when it traded 335 times normal volume; it still carries AED 1.39m of net weekly buying pressure. GCC investors tracking Turkey exposure through TURKI have a concrete catalyst to watch in the asset sales by big local Turkish banks.

Equities

What strength there was came from a narrow set of names. IHC, the International Holding Company PJSC, was the board's best one-day performer at +4.77% on AED 88.46m, at 4.09 times its seven-day average volume, though it carries AED 35.71m of net weekly selling pressure. PUREHEALTH, Pure Health Holding PJSC, gained 4.69% on AED 37.61m at 4.72 times its average volume, and NMDC, NMDC Group PJSC, rose 2.09% on AED 74.57m at 10.83 times its average.

The value, however, sat with the decliners. NMDCENR, NMDC Energy P.J.S.C, topped the board at AED 169.80m, closing 2.08% lower at 20.12 times its seven-day average volume, a genuine volume event on a large base. EAND, Emirates Telecom. Group Company (Etisalat Group) PJSC, fell 1.64% on AED 133.59m, ALDAR, Al Dar Properties, fell 1.48% on AED 133.20m, and the three largest banks all declined: FAB, First Abu Dhabi Bank, by 2.10%, and ADCB, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, and ADIB, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, by 1.96% each, all on at least 1.65 times their average volume.

Weekly positioning is similarly uneven: 36 equity names carry positive weekly net pressure and 50 negative, with ADPORTS, Abu Dhabi Ports Company PJSC, carrying AED 202.77m of net weekly selling pressure, the largest single figure on the board. SPACE42, SPACE42 PLC, remains the week's standout among large names, up 10.05% from its 2026-09-11 base after a further 1.39% gain on Friday.

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.

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