Stock Markets February 19, 2026

Istanbul Market Slips as Major Sectors Weigh on BIST 100

Holdings & Investments, Insurance and Banking stocks drive a 3.20% drop in the BIST 100 at Thursday close

By Hana Yamamoto
Istanbul Market Slips as Major Sectors Weigh on BIST 100

Turkey's main equity benchmark, the BIST 100, closed down 3.20% on Thursday after declines concentrated in the Holdings & Investments, Insurance and Banking sectors. Market breadth was strongly negative, with 551 stocks falling versus 58 gainers. Key individual movers included gains in Pasifik Eurasia Lojistik, Enerya Enerji and Galatasaray Sportif, while Girisim Elektrik, Kiler Holding and Europower posted the steepest losses. Commodities and currency markets also moved, with April gold, Brent and WTI futures higher and USD/TRY and EUR/TRY edging up.

Key Points

  • BIST 100 closed down 3.20% at Thursday's session close, with the Holdings & Investments, Insurance and Banking sectors driving the decline.
  • Market breadth was skewed: 551 stocks fell, 58 rose and 4 were unchanged, indicating widespread weakness across the Istanbul Stock Exchange.
  • Notable individual moves included gains for IS:PASEU, IS:ENERY and IS:GSRAY, and steep losses for IS:GESAN, IS:KLRHO and IS:EUPWR; commodities and FX also moved higher for gold and crude oil while USD/TRY and EUR/TRY edged up.

Turkey's equity market ended Thursday's trading session in negative territory, with the benchmark BIST 100 index down 3.20% at the close in Istanbul. Losses were led by stocks in the Holdings & Investments, Insurance and Banking sectors, which collectively pulled the index lower.

At the individual-stock level, Pasifik Eurasia Lojistik Dis Ticaret AS (IS:PASEU) was the session's top performer on the BIST 100, gaining 4.98% (6.50 points) to finish at 136.90. Enerya Enerji AS (IS:ENERY) added 3.83% (0.38 points) to close at 10.30, and Galatasaray Sportif Sinai ve Ticari Yatirimlar AS (IS:GSRAY) rose 2.40% (0.03 points) to end the day at 1.28.

The heaviest declines were recorded by Girisim Elektrik Taahhut Ticaret & Sanayi AS (IS:GESAN), which fell 9.98% (5.38 points) to close at 48.52. Kiler Holding AS (IS:KLRHO) dropped 9.97% (52.75 points) to 476.25, and Europower Enerji ve Otomasyon Teknolojileri Sanayi Ticaret AS (IS:EUPWR) declined 8.91% (3.70 points) to finish at 37.82.

Market breadth on the Istanbul Stock Exchange was heavily skewed toward declines: 551 stocks fell, 58 advanced and 4 remained unchanged. That distribution underscores the broad nature of the sell-off across the exchange.

Commodities trading showed gains for precious metals and crude. Gold Futures for April delivery rose 0.52% (26.26) to $5,035.76 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery increased 2.04% (1.33) to $66.38 a barrel, while the April Brent contract gained 1.79% (1.26) to trade at $71.61 a barrel.

In currency markets, USD/TRY moved up 0.07% to 43.77, and EUR/TRY climbed 0.08% to 51.61. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher by 0.22% at 97.84.


Summary of session dynamics:

  • Major index movement: BIST 100 closed down 3.20%.
  • Top gainers: IS:PASEU (+4.98%), IS:ENERY (+3.83%), IS:GSRAY (+2.40%).
  • Largest decliners: IS:GESAN (-9.98%), IS:KLRHO (-9.97%), IS:EUPWR (-8.91%).
  • Commodities and FX: April gold, WTI and Brent futures were higher; USD/TRY and EUR/TRY edged up; US Dollar Index Futures rose to 97.84.

The session's price action reflects a clearly negative day for Turkish equities, with significant participation on the downside and notable volatility in select names. The movements in commodity and currency markets accompanied the equity weakness, as reported at the close.

Risks

  • Broad market participation in the sell-off - evidenced by 551 decliners versus 58 advancers - signals elevated downside risk for equities across sectors, including Holdings & Investments, Insurance and Banking.
  • Significant single-stock declines, such as IS:GESAN (-9.98%), IS:KLRHO (-9.97%) and IS:EUPWR (-8.91%), highlight idiosyncratic volatility risks within the domestic market.
  • Movements in commodities and currencies - April gold, WTI and Brent futures rising and USD/TRY and EUR/TRY increasing - present potential cross-market risk for asset valuations and investor sentiment.

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