Abu Dhabi, Feb 21, 2026, 11:54 GST — The market is closed.
- Abu Dhabi’s main index slipped 0.3% Friday. Aldar dropped 2.6%, while Agility Global declined 1.4%.
- Aldar announced a $1 billion placement of subordinated hybrid notes with Apollo. Invictus shares climbed, boosted by a rise in full-year profit.
- Oil prices are in focus for investors this Monday, along with the latest U.S.-Iran developments.
Abu Dhabi shares start the week under pressure, with the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange benchmark ending Friday down 0.3% as fresh geopolitical worries rattled sentiment. Aldar Properties, a key player in real estate, lost 2.6%. Invictus bucked the trend, climbing 1.6% after posting results.
Awkward timing for Gulf equities, which had been relying on earnings season and solid local flows. The recent pullback, though, shoved geopolitics to the forefront. Oil slipped again.
“Rising geopolitical tensions triggered risk aversion,” said Milad Azar, market analyst at XTB MENA. He pointed out that those geopolitical headwinds have put the brakes on momentum in the region’s bourses. Reuters
Aldar redirected attention, announcing a $1 billion private placement of subordinated hybrid notes to Apollo Global Management. The company said proceeds were funneled as equity into Aldar Investment Properties, with $500 million used to repay perpetual hybrid notes from 2022. These hybrid notes rank below other debt and come with equity-like characteristics, helping to ease leverage ratios.
Apollo described the deal as its fifth with Aldar since 2022, adding that proceeds are intended to bolster Aldar’s balance sheet flexibility and fund its growth plans, such as acquiring more land and making strategic buys. “Completing our fifth investment with Aldar speaks directly to Apollo’s ability to structure flexible capital solutions,” said Jamshid Ehsani, a partner at Apollo. Apollo Global Management, Inc.
Outside the real estate sector, Invictus Investment released its audited 2025 results: net profit came in at 227.6 million dirhams on revenue of 13.3 billion dirhams. The board proposed a 40 million dirham cash dividend. “2025 was a defining year,” according to chief executive Amir Daoud Abdellatif, who highlighted the company’s expansion through acquisitions and new markets. MarketScreener
The tape remains unsettled. Any sharper oil slide or fresh turbulence in regional security headlines would probably sustain the pressure on rate-sensitive and cyclical stocks—banks, developers—after a week packed with swings.
ADX reopens Monday. Oil prices will probably set the tone, along with any weekend moves rattling global risk assets.
The main scheduling risk looms: Iran is working on a counterproposal for the nuclear negotiations, and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened potential limited strikes if the sides don’t come to an agreement within 10 to 15 days—a deadline stretching into early March.
