Israel's primary equity gauge ended Thursday with a strong advance as the TA 35 rose 2.64% to reach a fresh all time high. Broad sector gains were led by Insurance, Financials and Real Estate, lifting the market at the close in Tel Aviv.
The session's top performers on the TA 35 included Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd (TASE:CLIS), which climbed 9.15% or 1,970.00 points to finish at 23,500.00. Newmed Energy LP (TASE:NWMDp) gained 8.86% or 160.00 points to close at 1,965.00, while Nova (TASE:NVMI) rose 8.00% or 11,200.00 points to end the day at 151,200.00.
On the downside, NICE Ltd (TASE:NICE) recorded the sharpest decline, falling 8.81% or 3,120.00 points to 32,300.00 at the close. Navitas Petroleum LP Unit (TASE:NVPTp) slipped 1.41% or 190.00 points to finish at 13,270.00, and Next Vision Stabilized Systems (TASE:NXSN) closed down 1.30% or 420.00 points at 31,770.00.
Market breadth favored advances, with 285 stocks rising against 185 decliners and 81 issues unchanged on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
Commodities trading showed notable moves: crude oil for May delivery rose 8.16% or 7.70 to $102.11 a barrel. Brent crude for June delivery gained 4.71% or 4.46 to $99.21 a barrel. Precious metals were higher as well, with the June Gold Futures contract up 0.24% or 11.56 to trade at $4,788.76 a troy ounce.
Currency markets saw the Israeli shekel firm against major currencies. USD/ILS declined 0.56% to 3.07, while EUR/ILS eased 0.44% to 3.58. The US Dollar Index Futures was lower, down 0.14% at 98.79.
Key points
- TA 35 rose 2.64% to a new all time high, driven by gains in Insurance, Financials and Real Estate.
- Leading individual winners included CLIS, NWMDp and NVMI; notable losers included NICE, NVPTp and NXSN.
- Commodities and currencies moved materially: crude and Brent oil advanced sharply, gold inched higher, and the shekel strengthened versus the dollar and euro.
Risks and uncertainties
- Volatility in individual equities remains evident, as highlighted by large percentage moves both up and down among TA 35 components, which could affect sector performance, including Insurance and Energy.
- Significant swings in oil prices and currency rates introduce uncertainty for commodity-sensitive sectors and exporters, impacting Financials and Energy-related names.