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AEX reaches record close after Friday recovery

Amsterdam’s leading index recovers from Thursday’s fall, but differences between chip stocks remain large.

Follow-up to: AEX closes lower after fresh blow to chip stocks Thursday, 15 October 2026, 22:16

The AEX closed on Friday 16 October at 1,142.88 points, a gain of 0.91 per cent and a new closing record. The leading index’s recovery did not mean that all technology shares had put their losses behind them.

The Amsterdam stock market thereby more than made up for Thursday’s fall. According to historical price data from Investing.com, the AEX ended that day at 1,132.58 points, down 0.40 per cent. That loss was the subject of our earlier reporting on pressure on chip stocks. On Friday, the index added 10.30 points and also finished above Wednesday’s closing level. The news is therefore the recovery of the broad market benchmark following that weak trading day.

During Friday’s session, the AEX rose to 1,147.35 points, according to the same price data. The market therefore did not retain all its gains, but remained clearly above Thursday’s level at the close. The distinction between the intraday high and the closing level is relevant: each describes a different measurement point. The final level of 1,142.88 points is the closing record reported by Upday on Friday evening.

That recovery was already visible in the morning. At around eleven o’clock, news agency ABM Financial News reported broad-based share price gains via ING Markets. At that point, the rebound was therefore not confined to a single major stock. However, a positive reading for the overall index says little about the performance of each individual share. Movements among chip companies in particular diverged during the trading day.

ASML ended approximately 0.9 per cent higher, according to Upday’s closing report. Besi, by contrast, lost 4.8 per cent. Universal Music Group was among the biggest gainers, rising 4.3 per cent, while ING and ABN AMRO also finished higher. That combination makes clear why a rising AEX can coincide with continuing losses at individual technology companies. The market record describes the overall movement of the index, rather than a shared mood across all sectors.

Reports of possible new competition also played a role at Besi. ABM referred to an analysis by SemiAnalysis about indications that ASML is working on equipment for bonding chips. It was explicitly stated that ASML itself had not confirmed this. This is therefore a possible development that investors are weighing up, rather than an announced product launch or an established loss of market share for Besi.

Views also differed on the valuation of technology shares. In the morning report, Mark Dowding of RBC BlueBay warned of disappointments if growth in AI investment slows. Simon Wiersma of ING, by contrast, emphasised rising corporate profits. These are assessments by market participants, rather than established explanations for every share price movement. Friday’s trading does, however, provide a concrete result: the AEX recovered to a record close, while the recovery among chip stocks remained uneven.

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