Israel equities finished lower at the close on Friday, with the benchmark TA 35 falling 0.44% as selling pressure in the Technology, Banking and Biomed sectors helped drag the index down.
At the close in Tel Aviv the TA 35 registered a 0.44% decline.
The session's strongest performers on the TA 35 included OPC Energy Ltd (TASE:OPCE), which rose 2.77% or 280.00 points to trade at 10,400.00 at the close. Kenon Holdings Ltd (TASE:KEN) advanced 2.15% or 450.00 points to finish at 21,360.00, and Navitas Petroleum LP Unit (TASE:NVPTp) gained 2.03% or 250.00 points to end the day at 12,580.00.
At the other end of the index, Tower Semiconductor Ltd (TASE:TSEM) led losses, falling 4.91% or 3,480.00 points to close at 67,430.00. Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd (TASE:ENLT) dropped 4.32% or 1,150.00 points to finish at 25,500.00, and Nova (TASE:NVMI) slipped 3.55% or 5,300.00 points to end at 144,000.00.
Market breadth on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange favored advancing names: 302 stocks rose while 151 declined, and 103 were unchanged by the close.
Commodity markets were mixed during the session. Crude oil for August delivery edged down 0.04% or 0.03 to $68.66 a barrel. Brent oil for September delivery rose 0.26% or 0.19 to $71.99 a barrel. Precious metals showed strength as the August Gold Futures contract gained 1.33% or 55.01 to trade at $4,180.71 a troy ounce.
In currency trading, USD/ILS was unchanged 0.10% to 3.00, while EUR/ILS rose 0.22% to 3.43. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.05% at 100.57.
Summary
Friday's session closed with the TA 35 down 0.44%, driven by sector declines in Technology, Banking and Biomed. A small group of names in energy and holding companies outperformed, while semiconductor and renewable names registered the heaviest losses. Commodities and foreign exchange moves were present but modest in scale.
Key points- TA 35 fell 0.44% at the close, with Technology, Banking and Biomed among the laggards.
- Top gainers included OPC Energy (TASE:OPCE), Kenon Holdings (TASE:KEN) and Navitas Petroleum (TASE:NVPTp); largest decliners included Tower Semiconductor (TASE:TSEM), Enlight Renewable Energy (TASE:ENLT) and Nova (TASE:NVMI).
- Commodity and currency changes were modest: August crude dipped slightly, Brent rose, gold futures moved higher, and the shekel showed small fluctuations versus the dollar and euro.
- Stock-specific downside risk - Several large-cap names on the TA 35 recorded double-digit basis-point losses, demonstrating the potential for notable swings in individual equities, notably in semiconductors and renewable energy.
- Commodity price variability - Movements in crude, Brent and gold could affect profitability and sentiment for energy and resource-related firms listed on the exchange.
- Currency fluctuation - Changes in USD/ILS and EUR/ILS could influence exporters, importers and companies with foreign-currency exposures.