Istanbul, Feb 22, 2026, 11:46 TRT — The market is closed.
- The BIST 100 closed out Friday at 13,934.06, recovering some lost territory following Thursday’s steep slide.
- Banks drove the rebound, yet new survey data sent mixed messages about the real economy.
- Monday opens with traders tracking the lira, crude prices, and keeping an eye on Thursday’s central bank reserves update.
The BIST 100 index finished Friday with a 0.94% gain, landing at 13,934.06 and stopping just short of 14,000 before markets resume on Monday.
The close call is catching attention—14,000 is now the line everyone’s eyeing, regardless of what they say about “levels”. Banks bounced back, with the sub-index up 1.85% Friday, erasing much of Thursday’s drop and thrusting lenders back out front as early-week guides. Borsa İstanbul
The Turkish lira barely budged heading into the weekend, holding near 43.82 per dollar on Friday’s close—enough stability to keep it out of the main headlines. With FX less volatile, equity market focus drifts back toward rates, earnings, and flows.
Friday’s data didn’t hand investors a clear “risk-on” or “risk-off” cue. The central bank survey put February’s capacity utilisation at 73.5%, down from 74.1% in January—meaning factories were tapping a bit less of their output potential. Hürriyet Daily News
Business sentiment in manufacturing picked up, with the Real Sector Confidence Index climbing 2.5 points to 104.1 in February, according to the central bank’s latest survey—a reading where optimism among firms outweighs pessimism.
Energy remains another factor investors are watching. Brent crude finished Friday at $71.76 per barrel, climbing over 5% for the week. Ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions continue to prop up prices with a geopolitical risk premium—a setup that muddies the outlook for inflation and adds pressure on oil importers such as Turkey.
Overseas action showed turbulence but little outright fear. U.S. equities climbed on Friday, buoyed by the Supreme Court’s move to overturn President Donald Trump’s global tariffs. Investors juggled that headline alongside conflicting economic readings on growth and inflation.
Thursday stands out as the first firm date on next week’s local calendar. According to Trading Economics, Turkey is set to publish its latest foreign exchange reserves update on Feb. 26. This weekly figure gives traders a snapshot of external buffers—often a signal for potential stress on the lira.
Volatility hasn’t gone far. After sliding 3.20% on Thursday, the BIST 100 snapped back Friday, a move that made clear just how fast sentiment can swing once banks and big industrials get in sync.
The flip side isn’t hard to see. Factory utilisation keeps slipping, and a fresh surge in oil prices—or a firmer dollar—could easily stoke inflation concerns again, push up funding costs, and trigger another round of profit-taking in the market.
Traders are watching banks closely at the start of the week—will the sector pick up where Friday’s rally left off, or lose steam as investors weigh fresh growth signals and shifting global risk? The broader index has already moved sharply this year; it doesn’t take much to push it in either direction.
