Stock Markets March 16, 2026

Tel Aviv slips as insurers, oil and financials weigh; TA 35 down 0.01%

Tower Semiconductor leads gains while Harel and other insurers fall; commodities and FX move lower

By Nina Shah TSEM ENLT NVMI HARL
Tel Aviv slips as insurers, oil and financials weigh; TA 35 down 0.01%
TSEM ENLT NVMI HARL

Israel's stock market closed slightly lower Monday as declines in the Insurance, Oil & Gas and Financials sectors offset gains among select technology and renewable names. The TA 35 finished down 0.01% as trading breadth favored decliners, while crude, Brent and gold prices fell and key FX pairs showed modest moves.

Key Points

  • TA 35 closed down 0.01% as losses in Insurance, Oil & Gas and Financials offset gains in select names.
  • Top performers included Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) up 14.53%, Enlight Renewable (ENLT) up 6.55%, and Nova (NVMI) up 2.56%; major insurers Harel (HARL), Clal (CLIS) and Menora (MMHD) were among the biggest decliners.
  • Commodity and FX moves were notable: WTI crude fell to $94.08 a barrel, Brent to $101.66 a barrel, April gold futures to $4,993.71 a troy ounce, USD/ILS weakened to 3.12 and the US Dollar Index Futures declined to 99.69.

Israel stocks ended the session modestly lower on Monday, with weakening performance in the Insurance, Oil & Gas and Financials sectors exerting downward pressure on the market.

At the close in Tel Aviv, the TA 35 slipped 0.01%.

Among the index constituents, Tower Semiconductor Ltd (TASE:TSEM) was the top gainer, advancing 14.53% or 5,530.00 points to finish at 43,590.00. Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd (TASE:ENLT) climbed 6.55% or 1,450.00 points to end the day at 23,590.00, while Nova (TASE:NVMI) added 2.56% or 3,430.00 points to close at 137,420.00.

On the downside, Harel (TASE:HARL) posted the largest decline on the TA 35, falling 4.64% or 850.00 points to 17,450.00 at the close. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd (TASE:CLIS) dropped 4.25% or 1,070.00 points to finish at 24,120.00, and Menora Miv Hld (TASE:MMHD) was down 4.13% or 2,070.00 points to end the session at 48,000.00.

Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, with 301 shares falling versus 156 that rose. A total of 94 stocks finished unchanged.

Commodities trading saw substantial moves: crude oil for May delivery was down 2.85% or 2.76 to $94.08 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery fell 1.43% or 1.48 to $101.66 a barrel. In metals, the April Gold Futures contract declined 1.34% or 67.99 to trade at $4,993.71 a troy ounce.

In currency markets, the USD/ILS rate retreated 0.66% to 3.12, while EUR/ILS was effectively flat, changing 0.05% to 3.59. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.41% to 99.69.

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Risks

  • Sector concentration risk - weakness in Insurance, Oil & Gas and Financials led broader market declines, indicating those sectors can materially influence index performance.
  • Commodity price volatility - sharp moves in crude and Brent prices may affect energy-related companies and broader market sentiment.
  • Currency fluctuations - movements in USD/ILS and the US Dollar Index Futures can impact exporters, importers and firms with FX-sensitive balance sheets.

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