AEX falls 0.68% as chip stocks lead Friday sell-off
Published on 10/30/2026 at 22:44 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSAEX ends week under tech pressure
- The AEX closed Friday, October 30, 2026, down 0.68% at a calculated 1,134.47 points.
- Technology, basic-materials and financial stocks led the declines, with ASMI, ASML and BE Semiconductor among the weakest constituents.
- Renewed concerns about artificial-intelligence spending weighed on semiconductor shares, while Universal Music Group gained after its quarterly update.
The AEX finished the Amsterdam session on Friday, October 30, 2026, down 0.68%. Based on the reported previous close of 1,142.24 points and the reported daily percentage change, the closing level calculates to 1,134.47 points. Investing.com reported that losses in technology, basic materials and financials led the Dutch market lower.
Semiconductor shares weigh on index
ASM International fell 7.57%, ASML declined 6.11% and BE Semiconductor lost 5.72%, according to the Investing.com market report. The moves came as investors reassessed the outlook for technology spending after disappointing or cautious updates from major US technology companies. The broader backdrop was a renewed sell-off in AI-related and semiconductor stocks rather than a single AEX-specific development.
Newsquawk described notable technology weakness in Asia following Amazon and Intel earnings. Its report also listed a 0.59% AEX gain at 1,142 points, which corresponds to the preceding Thursday session rather than Friday's close and is therefore not used as Friday's closing value here.
UMG bucks the downward trend
Universal Music Group rose 7.89% to 17.09, making it the strongest AEX performer cited by Investing.com. The gain followed quarterly figures showing adjusted EBITDA of EUR 729 million and revenue of EUR 3.39 billion, with recorded-music subscription revenue up 19.2% year over year at constant exchange rates, according to the Newsquawk report. Magnum Ice Cream and Wolters Kluwer also finished higher.
Investor focus remains on AI spending
The session highlighted the AEX's sensitivity to global semiconductor sentiment. Heavy declines in its chip-equipment constituents amplified the pressure from the wider technology retreat, while gains in selected consumer and media shares provided only a partial offset. For investors, the market's next direction will depend in part on whether concerns about the cost and returns of AI infrastructure investment spread further beyond technology stocks.
Further AEX coverage is available on the AEX topic page.
