Stock Markets March 17, 2026

Tel Aviv Market Climbs; TA 35 Advances 1.57% Led by Communication, Technology and Real Estate Gains

Elbit Systems and OPC Energy reach record highs as oil prices and FX moves accompany Tuesday's rally

By Ajmal Hussain ESLT ORA TSEM
Tel Aviv Market Climbs; TA 35 Advances 1.57% Led by Communication, Technology and Real Estate Gains
ESLT ORA TSEM

Israel's benchmark TA 35 finished higher on Tuesday, rising 1.57% as advances in the Communication, Technology and Real Estate sectors pushed the market up. Elbit Systems and OPC Energy were the session's strongest performers and reached all-time highs. Energy commodities gained and local currency pairs moved lower versus the dollar, while market breadth favored rising issues.

Key Points

  • TA 35 rose 1.57% at the close, driven by gains in Communication, Technology and Real Estate sectors.
  • Elbit Systems and OPC Energy were the session's strongest performers, each reaching all-time highs.
  • Energy commodities gained while the shekel strengthened against the dollar and euro.

Israel's equity market closed higher on Tuesday, with the TA 35 index ending the session up 1.57% in Tel Aviv as gains in the Communication, Technology and Real Estate sectors supported the advance.

The session's top performers on the TA 35 included Elbit Systems Ltd (TASE:ESLT), which climbed 10.95% - an increase of 30,400.00 points - finishing at 308,000.00. OPC Energy Ltd (TASE:OPCE) added 5.49% or 610.00 points to close at 11,730.00. Big Shopping Centers Ltd (TASE:BIG) also posted a strong showing, rising 5.02% or 3,740.00 points to end the day at 78,180.00.

On the downside, Ormat Technologies (TASE:ORA) was the weakest name among the index constituents, slipping 3.94% or 1,390.00 points to 33,900.00 at the close. Tower Semiconductor Ltd (TASE:TSEM) declined 2.62% or 1,140.00 points to finish at 42,450.00, while Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd (TASE:ENLT) fell 2.42% or 570.00 points to 23,020.00.

Market breadth favored advancers, with 290 stocks rising on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange versus 183 that fell; 78 issues ended unchanged. The report noted that shares of Elbit Systems and OPC Energy rose to all-time highs, with Elbit up 10.95% to 308,000.00 and OPC Energy gaining 5.49% to 11,730.00.


Commodities and currency markets moved in parallel with the local equity gains. Crude oil for May delivery increased 2.56% or $2.37 to $94.83 a barrel. Brent crude for May delivery rose 2.39% or $2.40 to $102.61 a barrel. In precious metals, the April Gold Futures contract slipped 0.04% or $1.99 to trade at $5,000.21 a troy ounce.

FX markets showed the Israeli shekel strengthening against the dollar and euro on the session: USD/ILS fell 0.64% to 3.10, while EUR/ILS declined 0.46% to 3.57. The US Dollar Index Futures was slightly lower, down 0.05% at 99.42.

The day's activity highlighted concentrated moves among several large-cap names while commodity and currency swings added an external backdrop to the domestic rally. The data points above reflect the close-of-day calculations for the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and related commodity and FX contracts.

Risks

  • Sharp moves in crude oil and Brent prices - energy-sensitive sectors could experience volatility as prices rose 2.56% and 2.39% respectively.
  • Currency fluctuations - USD/ILS and EUR/ILS moved lower during the session, which may affect exporters and importers exposed to FX shifts.
  • Not all sectors participated equally - while 290 stocks rose, 183 declined and 78 were unchanged, indicating uneven market participation.

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