Stock Markets March 13, 2026

Istanbul Stocks Slip as Banking, Leasing & Factoring and Telecoms Lag; BIST 100 Drops 1.45%

Market breadth favored decliners as key financial and telecom names pushed the index lower; FX and commodity moves reflected mixed trading

By Jordan Park
Istanbul Stocks Slip as Banking, Leasing & Factoring and Telecoms Lag; BIST 100 Drops 1.45%

Turkey's BIST 100 closed down 1.45% as losses concentrated in the Banking, Leasing & Factoring and Telecoms sectors weighed on the market. Declining issues outpaced advancers by a wide margin, while select industrial and insurance-related names outperformed. Commodity and currency markets showed mixed moves alongside a firmer US dollar.

Key Points

  • BIST 100 closed down 1.45% with losses concentrated in Banking, Leasing & Factoring and Telecoms sectors.
  • Market breadth was negative: 437 declining stocks versus 161 advancing and 16 unchanged.
  • Commodities and FX showed mixed moves: gold futures fell, crude oil edged higher, USD/TRY rose while EUR/TRY fell.

Turkey's equity benchmark ended the Friday session lower, with sector weakness in Banking, Leasing & Factoring and Telecoms driving most of the downward pressure. At the close in Istanbul, the BIST 100 fell 1.45%.

Among individual stocks, Petkim Petrokimya Holding AS (IS:PETKM) led the gainers, rising 6.56% - a gain of 1.24 points - to finish at 20.14. Real estate developer Dap Gayrimenkul Gelistirme AS (IS:DAPGM) added 4.72% or 0.60 points to close at 13.30, while insurer Turkiye Sigorta AS (IS:TURSG) climbed 4.42% or 0.57 points to 13.47 in late trade.

On the downside, Kiler Holding AS (IS:KLRHO) recorded the steepest loss, falling 9.99% - a decline of 19.70 points - to end the day at 177.50. State-linked Turkiye Halk Bankasi (IS:HALKB) fell 5.94% or 2.62 points to finish at 41.52, and Efor Yatırım Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (IS:EFOR) was down 4.88% or 0.88 points to 17.17.

Market breadth was firmly negative on the Istanbul Stock Exchange, with 437 stocks closing lower compared with 161 advancing issues; 16 stocks ended unchanged.


Commodities and currencies

In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery fell 1.12% - down 57.61 - to settle at $5,068.19 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery inched higher by 0.06% or 0.06 to $95.79 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 0.58% or 0.58 to trade at $101.04 a barrel.

Currency markets in Turkey showed modest moves: USD/TRY was up 0.18% at 44.19, while EUR/TRY declined 0.69% to 50.66.

The US Dollar Index Futures strengthened, trading up 0.51% at 100.26.


Context and market implications

The session reflected uneven performance across sectors. While select industrial and insurance-linked stocks posted notable gains, the broader market moved lower as financials and telecom names underperformed. Commodity and FX moves provided additional texture to the trading day, with gold retreating and crude oil showing modest gains.

Risks

  • Sector concentration risk as weakness in Banking, Leasing & Factoring and Telecoms can amplify index declines - impacts financial and telecom sectors.
  • Market breadth imbalance with far more decliners than advancers could signal broader selling pressure - impacts overall equity market stability.
  • Currency and commodity volatility, including a firmer USD and a decline in gold, may affect investor sentiment and sector valuations - impacts FX-sensitive sectors and commodity-linked names.

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