ADX trading momentum underscores market resilience, dividend appeal

ABU DHABI, 11th March, 2026 (WAM) — The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has continued to record strong levels of activity and liquidity in recent trading sessions, reflecting the market’s resilience, the depth of its investor base, the attractiveness of dividend distributions and strong investor confidence.

The market recorded total trades worth AED4.8 billion during the first three sessions following the resumption of trading after the precautionary suspension on 2 and 3 March, covering the period from 4 to 6 March 2026.

On 4th March 2026, the first session after trading resumed, transactions reached AED1.37 billion, marking an increase of 12 percent compared with the 2025 daily average of AED1.22 billion, excluding block trades. Trading volume reached 496 million shares, compared with a daily average of 326 million shares in 2025, an increase of 52 percent, while the number of transactions reached about 25,400, up 13 percent compared with the 2025 average.

Momentum continued during the 5th March session, with trading value reaching AED1.93 billion, up 58 percent compared with the 2025 average. Trading volume reached 463 million shares, an increase of 52 percent, while the number of transactions rose to 31,900, representing a 42 percent increase.

Trading activity remained strong on Friday, 6th March, with transactions worth AED1.55 billion executed on about 364 million shares, while the number of transactions reached 29,400, up 31 percent compared with the 2025 average.

Institutional investors led trading activity during this period, accounting for about 76 percent of total trades, compared with 24 percent for retail investors. Foreign investors accounted for 45 percent of trading, compared with 55 percent for UAE investors, reflecting strong participation by investment institutions and investor confidence in the market over the long term.

Strong activity continued at the start of this week’s sessions. During the Monday, 9th March session, trading value reached about AED1.2 billion, while trading volume stood at 284 million shares across 24,400 transactions. Institutional investors accounted for about 80 percent of total trading, while foreign investors represented 53 percent.

During the Tuesday, 10th March session, the market recorded record levels when comparing trading value and the number of transactions with the highest levels recorded during 2025 and 2026, excluding block trades and index rebalancing days. A total of 58,100 transactions were executed compared with 44,100 transactions recorded on 24th June 2025, marking an increase of 32 percent.

The session also recorded trades worth AED3.45 billion, compared with the previous highest daily trading value of AED2.32 billion recorded on 30th June 2025, representing an increase of 49 percent.

During the Wednesday, 11th March session, trades worth AED1.7 billion were executed on 331 million shares through 36,500 transactions, marking an increase of 62.4 percent compared with the average number of transactions in 2025.

This strong activity coincides with the start of the cash dividend distribution season, as 17 entities – listed companies and exchange-traded funds – have announced dividends worth nearly AED16 billion since the beginning of the year, further enhancing the market’s appeal to investors.