Israel's equity market finished lower on Tuesday, with the benchmark TA 35 index retreating 1.17% at the close in Tel Aviv. Selling pressure was concentrated in the Insurance, Technology and Communication sectors and the day ended with more than twice as many declining issues as advancing ones.
On the TA 35, ICL Israel Chemicals Ltd (TASE:ICL) was the session's top performer, closing up 1.91% or 30.00 points to 1,599.00. Ormat Technologies (TASE:ORA) also posted gains, adding 1.70% or 570.00 points to finish at 34,170.00, while Tower Semiconductor Ltd (TASE:TSEM) rose 1.67% or 930.00 points to 56,700.00 in late trade.
At the other end of the board, NICE Ltd (TASE:NICE) led declines, slipping 6.48% or 2,400.00 points to end at 34,640.00. Vision Stabilized Systems (TASE:NXSN) dropped 5.70% or 2,070.00 points to 34,220.00, and Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Corp Ltd (TASE:BEZQ) fell 3.83% or 31.20 points to 784.00.
Market breadth favored sellers, with 323 stocks declining versus 142 advancing on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange; 86 issues finished unchanged. Tower Semiconductor's share price rise took it to a 5-year high, gaining 1.67% or 930.00 to 56,700.00.
Commodities moved sharply during the session. Crude oil for May delivery climbed 4.45% or 3.92 to $92.05 a barrel. Brent crude for June delivery rose 3.60% or 3.45 to $99.37 a barrel. In metals, the June Gold Futures contract ticked up 0.15% or 6.54 to trade at $4,446.04 a troy ounce.
Foreign exchange and dollar benchmarks showed modest activity. USD/ILS was up 0.40% to 3.12, while EUR/ILS unchanged 0.10% to 3.61. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.52% to 99.24.
The day's session left the benchmark lower and highlighted sector-specific pressures in insurance, technology and communication stocks, with notable commodity and currency moves that are relevant to market participants watching input costs and cross-border exposures.