Stock Markets February 23, 2026

Amsterdam market edges lower as industrials, consumer goods and tech lag

AEX closes down 0.12% as a handful of large-cap movers post mixed results; commodity and FX markets see modest moves

By Derek Hwang MT AD
Amsterdam market edges lower as industrials, consumer goods and tech lag
MT AD

The AEX index in Amsterdam finished the Monday session down 0.12%, driven by sector losses in Industrials, Consumer Goods and Technology. ArcelorMittal, Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and BE Semiconductor Industries were among the session's top gainers, while CVC Capital Partners, Adyen and Magnum Ice Cream led declines. Market breadth favored decliners and volatility on AEX options was unchanged. Energy and precious metals prices moved slightly, and major currency pairs showed minimal net change.

Key Points

  • AEX closed down 0.12% as Industrials, Consumer Goods and Technology sectors led declines.
  • Top gainers included ArcelorMittal, Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize and BE Semiconductor Industries; top losers included CVC Capital Partners, Adyen and Magnum Ice Cream.
  • Breadth favored decliners with 61 stocks down, 37 up and 10 unchanged; AEX Volatility was unchanged at 21.09.

Netherlands equities closed lower on Monday, with the AEX finishing the session down 0.12% in Amsterdam as losses in the Industrials, Consumer Goods and Technology sectors weighed on the market.


Session leaders

The strongest performers on the AEX were:

  • ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) - up 3.10% or 1.70 points to 56.48 at the close.
  • Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV (AS:AD) - up 3.00% or 1.20 points to 41.25 at the close.
  • BE Semiconductor Industries NV (AS:BESI) - up 1.71% or 3.15 points to 187.65 at the close.

Biggest decliners

The weakest names by session performance were:

  • CVC Capital Partners PLC (AS:CVC) - down 7.14% or 0.91 points to 11.83 at the close.
  • Adyen NV (AS:ADYEN) - down 5.42% or 54.30 points to 947.30 at the close.
  • Magnum Ice Cream Nv (AS:MICCT) - down 4.59% or 0.65 points to 13.44 at the close.

Market breadth and notable price milestones

On the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, falling shares outnumbered advancing ones by 61 to 37, while 10 issues finished unchanged. Several stocks reached notable price milestones during the session: ArcelorMittal SA rose to a 5-year high at 56.48; CVC Capital Partners PLC fell to all-time lows at 11.83; Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV climbed to an all-time high at 41.25; and BE Semiconductor Industries NV also marked an all-time high at 187.65.


Volatility, commodities and currencies

The AEX Volatility index, which reflects implied volatility on AEX options, was unchanged at 21.09, a 0.00% move.

In commodities trading, crude oil for April delivery fell 0.20% or 0.13 to $66.35 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery declined 0.21% or 0.15 to $71.15 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract gained 3.00% or 152.36 to trade at $5,233.26 a troy ounce.

On foreign exchange markets, the EUR/USD pair was effectively unchanged, moving 0.22% to 1.18, and the EUR/GBP pair was also effectively unchanged, moving 0.06% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures fell 0.25% to 97.49.


This session combined modest sector pressure with select large-cap gains and losses, while volatility and major macro instruments recorded only small changes.

Risks

  • Concentration of intraday moves in specific large-cap names could amplify sector-level volatility, particularly in Industrials, Consumer Goods and Technology.
  • Significant single-stock declines or advances - such as CVC Capital Partners falling to all-time lows and several stocks hitting record highs - can increase uncertainty for index performance and investor positioning.
  • Shifts in crude, Brent and gold prices, while modest in this session, represent input risks for commodity-exposed sectors and macro-sensitive assets.

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