Israel equities closed higher on Friday, with strength concentrated in the Banking, Financials and Insurance sectors helping push the benchmark index up. At the close in Tel Aviv, the TA-35 registered a 0.65% gain.
Among constituents, Next Vision Stabilized Systems (NXSN) led the list of gainers on the TA-35, jumping 4.71% - a rise of 1,610.00 points - to finish at 35,790.00. Nova (NVMI) added 2.66%, or 3,560.00 points, closing at 137,490.00. Defense and aerospace group Elbit Systems Ltd (ESLT) also advanced, gaining 2.52% - an increase of 5,890.00 points - to end the day at 239,890.00.
Not all major names were higher. Ormat Technologies (ORA) was the session's largest decliner on the TA-35, falling 4.43% - down 1,550.00 points - to 33,400.00 at the close. Newmed Energy LP (NWMDp) decreased 3.51%, slipping 71.00 points to close at 1,954.00, while ICL Israel Chemicals Ltd (ICL) fell 3.08% - a drop of 47.00 points - to 1,481.00.
Market breadth on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange skewed positive, with 245 stocks advancing compared with 207 that fell. A further 95 issues finished unchanged.
Two TA-35 components reached record highs in the session. Shares of Next Vision Stabilized Systems rose to all-time highs, closing up 4.71% at 35,790.00. Elbit Systems Ltd also reached an all-time high, climbing 2.52% to 239,890.00. On the downside, shares of ICL Israel Chemicals Ltd dropped to 52-week lows, falling 3.08% to 1,481.00.
Commodities trading saw oil prices move higher. Crude oil for April delivery rose 2.62% - up $1.71 - to $66.92 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery gained 2.58%, or $1.83, to $72.67 a barrel. In precious metals, the April Gold Futures contract increased 1.13%, or 58.46, trading at 5,252.66 per troy ounce.
Currency markets registered modest moves versus the shekel. The USD/ILS rate climbed 0.58% to 3.14, while EUR/ILS rose 0.52% to 3.70. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures edged lower, down 0.08% at 97.66.
Context and market implications
The session was marked by a positive close for the TA-35 driven by sector-level gains in banking, financials and insurance names. While some technology and defense names advanced—reaching record levels—energy and materials components registered notable declines, with one major materials name moving to a 52-week low. Commodity and currency swings also featured in trading, with oil and gold both higher and the shekel weakening against the dollar and euro.