AEX

Fastned stood out as one of the top gainers on the Amsterdam stock market on Friday, with its shares climbing 5.5 per cent following a strong first-half performance and upgraded profit forecasts for 2026. The electric vehicle charging operator benefited from record station openings, reduced losses, and analyst price target increases from Deutsche Bank and Jefferies, even as the broader AEX index dipped 0.2 per cent amid mixed performances across European markets.

Amsterdam’s AEX index extended its record rally on Friday morning, rising 0.3% to 1,123.44 points after opening, driven by ~3% gains in RELX and Wolters Kluwer. Broader market sentiment was bolstered by Wall Street's overnight record high, where optimism mounted that the US Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady in September. Meanwhile, the MidKap added 0.4% and Frankfurt gained 0.6%, while markets in Paris and London remained virtually flat.

The Amsterdam stock exchange opened lower on Friday as the benchmark AEX index fell 0.5% to 1,062.05 points, tracking a sharp tech-led sell-off in Asia fueled by surging memory chip prices. Global tech sentiment soured following news that heavy AI infrastructure investments are squeezing chip supply, forcing giants like Apple and Microsoft to hike product prices, while reports emerged that OpenAI may delay its stock market flotation until next year. On the local bourse, chip equipment maker Besi led the decliners with a 3.2% drop, contrasting with telecom firm KPN, which gained 1.3% on an analyst upgrade, while broader European markets dipped alongside falling oil prices as geopolitical anxieties in the Strait of Hormuz began to ease.

The Amsterdam stock market hit a new record high on Friday as shares rose across Europe, driven by hopes for peace in the Middle East and major business news. Investor confidence surged after US President Donald Trump cancelled planned attacks on Iran and hinted at a weekend peace deal, while markets also rallied ahead of the historic stock market debut of Elon Musk's SpaceX. As the threat of a wider war eased, oil prices fell below 90 dollars a barrel, which dragged down oil giant Shell by 2 per cent but sent airline Air France-KLM soaring by 6 per cent due to cheaper fuel. Meanwhile, digital payment firm Adyen led the day's corporate gainers, jumping 4 per cent after announcing a 290 million euro takeover of American platform Orb.

The AEX index in Amsterdam closed 0.6% lower on Friday at 1041.10 points, dragged down by payment provider Adyen, which plunged nearly 9% following a negative US analyst report warning of lost market share and rising competition. Semiconductor giants ASMI, Besi, and ASML also suffered losses of up to 4.3% following global tech declines, while steelmaker ArcelorMittal fell 4.7%. These losses offset gains by consumer giant Unilever, which jumped over 3%, and Heineken, which rose 1.9% amidst shareholder pressure to break with tradition and hire an external CEO to replace Dolf van den Brink. Elsewhere, Air France-KLM dipped 1.2% after a Barclays downgrade, and global oil prices slid by up to 2.6%.

The Amsterdam AEX index opened lower on Friday, dragged down by a 3 per cent drop for chip giants ASMI, Besi, and ASML following a tech sell-off in the US and Asia. As global investors shift from tech stocks to traditional sectors ahead of the latest US jobs report, wider European markets remained mixed, while Asian tech shares suffered heavy losses. On the local market, paint maker AkzoNobel and builder Heijmans posted gains, but Air France-KLM shares fell after a downgrade by Barclays, and Heineken investors piled pressure on the brewer to appoint an external CEO.

The Amsterdam AEX index dipped slightly by 0.2 per cent to close at 1,034.93 points on the final trading day of May, despite booking an overall monthly gain of more than 2 per cent. Construction firm BAM stole the spotlight in the MidCap index, surging 16.6 per cent after broker Oddo BHF upgraded the stock to a "buy" based on improved profitability in its UK operations. Elsewhere, ABN AMRO led the main index gains following the completion of its €250 million share buyback scheme, while Heineken dropped 2.3 per cent. Meanwhile, broader markets saw slight dips in London and Paris, and oil prices slid up to 1.9 per cent on hopes of a swift end to conflict in the Middle East.

The Amsterdam benchmark AEX index hit an all-time intraday high of 1,044.63 points on Friday, driven by market optimism following comments from US officials hinting at a swift end to the conflict with Iran. Despite ongoing disputes over uranium stockpiles and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz—which pushed Brent crude prices up to $105.19 a barrel—European markets rallied broadly, with payment firm Adyen leading the Amsterdam gains. The morning session was further shaped by major corporate deals, including a formal €7.8 billion takeover bid for locker company InPost by a FedEx-led consortium, a €160 million European and Australian tech division sell-off by recruitment firm Randstad to LTM, and a €10.7 billion private buyout bid for Italian pharmaceutical company Recordati by a consortium led by CVC.