The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange continued to record strong levels of activity and liquidity during recent trading sessions, in a clear indication of the market's strength and the depth of its investment base, supported by the attractiveness of cash dividends and investor confidence.
The market recorded total trading of AED 4.8 billion during the first three sessions following the resumption of trading after the temporary precautionary halt on March 2 and 3, 2026, during the period from March 4 to 6.
Strong performance after trading resumed
In the session of March 4, 2026 – the first trading session after the resumption of activity – the value of trading reached approximately 1.37 billion dirhams, an increase of 12 percent compared to the average daily trading for 2025 of 1.22 billion dirhams (excluding large deals).
Trading volume reached 496 million shares, compared to a daily average of 326 million shares during the past year, an increase of 52 percent, while the number of transactions reached about 25,400 transactions, an increase of 13 percent compared to the average of 2025.
The momentum continued in the session of March 5, with the value of trading reaching 1.93 billion dirhams, an increase of 58 percent compared to the average of last year, while the trading volume recorded 463 million shares, an increase of 52 percent, and the number of transactions rose to 31,900 transactions, achieving growth of 42 percent.
As for the session on Friday, March 6, it maintained the pace of activity, with trades amounting to 1.55 billion dirhams on about 364 million shares, while the number of deals reached 29.4 thousand deals, an increase of 31 percent compared to the average of last year.
Notable institutional and foreign presence
Institutional investors led trading activity during this period, accounting for approximately 76 percent of total trades, compared to 24 percent for individual investors.
Foreign investors accounted for 45 percent of trading, compared to 55 percent for Emirati investors, reflecting a strong presence of investment institutions and long-term investor confidence in the market.
Activity continues at the start of the week
The strong activity continued at the start of this week’s sessions, with the value of trading on Monday, March 9, reaching about 1.2 billion dirhams, while the trading volume reached 284 million shares through 24,400 transactions.
Trading by institutional investors accounted for about 80 percent of total trading, while foreign investors accounted for 53 percent.
On Tuesday, March 10, the market recorded record levels when comparing the value of trading and the number of transactions with the highest levels recorded during 2025 and 2026 (excluding large transactions and index rebalancing days), as 58.1 thousand transactions were executed compared to 44.1 thousand transactions on June 24, 2025, an increase of 32 percent.
The session also recorded trades worth AED 3.45 billion, compared to the previous highest daily trading value of AED 2.32 billion on June 30, 2025, an increase of 49 percent.
As for Wednesday's session on March 11, it witnessed trades worth 1.7 billion dirhams on 331 million shares executed through 36,500 transactions, an increase of 62.4 percent compared to the average number of transactions in 2025.
The dividend season supports investment appeal.
This activity coincides with the start of the cash dividend distribution season, as 17 entities – including listed companies and exchange-traded funds – have announced distributions totaling nearly AED 16 billion since the beginning of the year, enhancing the market's attractiveness to return-seeking investors.
