Bank of America Buys 2 Billion TL in Borsa Istanbul Industrial and Retail Stocks

As of July 21, 2026, the activity of major foreign institutional investors like Bank of America continues to serve as a bellwether for market sentiment in Turkey. While the BIST 100 index experienced a volatile week—closing the previous period with a percentage gain to reach 13,981.05 points, followed by a percentage decline on July 13 to 14,092.02 points—the underlying trading volume remains heavy, with daily transactions recently reaching approximately 158.7 billion TL.

BofA Portfolio Shifts: Industrial and Retail Dominance

Recent market data indicates that BofA’s strategy has favored high-cap industrial and retail stocks. The portfolio’s focus shifted clearly toward heavy-hitter companies, with Tüpraş leading the net buying at 690.6 million TL.

The appetite for these specific sectors was reflected across several key tickers.

Contrasting Sentiment: Buying vs. Selling Trends

Market participants often track the divergence between what foreign institutions accumulate and what they divest. While BofA’s net-buying strategy on July 20 highlighted industrial growth, earlier mid-month trading data showed a different composition. Borsamatik reported that on July 13, the bank’s high-volume activity included significant interest in ISCTR, EREGL, BIMAS, and KCHOL, while simultaneously offloading shares in ASELST, THYAO, ASTOR, TRALT, and KTLEV.

This pattern of rotation is a staple of foreign institutional strategy in the Borsa Istanbul. Ekonomim noted that in broader weekly snapshots, Koç Holding frequently appears as a primary target for acquisition, whereas Aselsan has appeared on the selling side of the ledger. These movements suggest that while specific sectors—particularly retail and energy—remain attractive for net inflows, foreign desks are simultaneously trimming positions in other large-cap defensive and technology-linked stocks to rebalance their exposure.

Broader Foreign Capital Flows

Understanding BofA’s daily volume is part of a larger picture regarding foreign investor behavior. Foreign investors have historically shown a preference for Koç Holding, Yapı Kredi, and BİM, while showing net outflows in names like Sasa Polyester and Garanti Bankası.

For the individual investor, the current volatility in the BIST 100—ranging within a certain point band—makes the monitoring of these high-volume institutional trades essential. As the market digests second-quarter financial reports, such as the upcoming disclosures from companies like ASELSAN, the institutional positioning by firms like BofA will likely continue to influence short-term price action across the BIST 100.