Stock Markets April 2, 2026

Istanbul shares climb as tech, wood and sports names lead gains; BIST 100 up 0.88%

Market breadth mixed as select small- and mid-cap names slide; oil rises sharply while gold softens and lira holds steady

By Sofia Navarro
Istanbul shares climb as tech, wood and sports names lead gains; BIST 100 up 0.88%

Turkey's benchmark BIST 100 closed higher on Thursday, gaining 0.88% as Technology, Wood, Paper & Printing and Sports sectors supported the advance. A handful of stocks produced notable double-digit percentage moves on both sides of the tape. Commodities and FX markets showed divergent moves, with crude oil jumping and gold futures sliding, while USD/TRY and EUR/TRY registered small changes.

Key Points

  • BIST 100 rose 0.88% at the close, led by Technology, Wood, Paper & Printing and Sports sectors.
  • Top gainers were ASTOR (+5.32%), SOKM (+5.15%) and ASELS (+5.07%); largest losers were EFOR (-9.94%), KLRHO (-9.35%) and KONTR (-6.37%).
  • Commodities and FX diverged: gold futures fell 2.34% to $4,700.55, May crude oil jumped 9.97% to $110.10, USD/TRY ticked up to 44.49 and EUR/TRY fell to 51.66.

Turkey's main equity index ended the trading day in Istanbul on a positive note, with the BIST 100 up 0.88% at the close on Thursday. Sector leadership came from Technology, Wood, Paper & Printing and Sports, which contributed to the overall gain.

The session's top performers included Astor Enerji AS (IS:ASTOR), which advanced 5.32% - a rise of 10.50 points - to finish at 207.80. Grocery retailer Sok Marketler (IS:SOKM) added 5.15%, or 2.60 points, closing at 53.10. Defense contractor Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS (IS:ASELS) was also among the leaders, gaining 5.07% with a late price of 336.50 after a 16.25-point increase.

On the downside, Efor Yatırım Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (IS:EFOR) posted the steepest decline, falling 9.94% or 0.90 points to close at 8.15. Kiler Holding AS (IS:KLRHO) lost 9.35% - a 13.30-point drop - ending the day at 129.00. Kontrolmatik Teknoloji Enerji ve Mu (IS:KONTR) also weakened, down 6.37% or 0.55 points to 8.09.

Market breadth at the Istanbul Stock Exchange was tilted toward decliners: 312 stocks fell versus 288 that advanced, while 18 issues finished unchanged.

Several stocks reached notable lows during the session. Shares of Efor Yatırım Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (IS:EFOR) moved down to 52-week lows, trading at 8.15 after the 9.94% decline. Kontrolmatik Teknoloji Enerji ve Mu (IS:KONTR) fell to a 3-year low, ending at 8.09 following the 6.37% drop.

Commodity markets displayed mixed directional moves. Gold Futures for June delivery was down 2.34% - a decline of 112.55 - to $4,700.55 a troy ounce. Energy contracts were firmer: Crude oil for May delivery rose 9.97% or 9.98 to $110.10 a barrel, while the June Brent contract climbed 5.82% or 5.89 to trade at $107.05 a barrel.

Foreign exchange rates showed limited movement. USD/TRY was up 0.05% at 44.49, while EUR/TRY eased 0.27% to 51.66. In the broader dollar market, the US Dollar Index Futures traded 0.27% higher at 99.72.


Market takeaways

  • The BIST 100 closed higher by 0.88%, led by Technology, Wood, Paper & Printing and Sports sectors.
  • Top individual gainers included ASTOR, SOKM and ASELS; largest decliners included EFOR, KLRHO and KONTR.
  • Commodities showed divergence with oil notably higher and gold weaker; FX shifts were modest.

Context and implications

The session combined sectoral strength in select parts of the market with notable stresses in a subset of smaller-cap names that recorded steep daily losses and multi-period lows. Commodity price swings and currency moves on the day added additional drivers of market direction, producing potential earnings and cost implications for companies sensitive to energy and currency exposure.

Risks

  • Significant single-stock declines - exemplified by EFOR and KLRHO - highlight idiosyncratic risk within small- and mid-cap sectors, affecting investor returns in those segments.
  • Large swings in energy prices, with crude oil up sharply, could influence costs and margins for energy-intensive firms and sectors tied to fuel prices.
  • Movements in FX rates, even modest ones in USD/TRY and EUR/TRY, introduce currency exposure for companies with cross-border revenues or import-dependent cost structures.

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