Israel's equity market closed with a modest decline on Wednesday, with the benchmark TA 35 ending the session down 0.15% following losses across several key sectors.
Sectors that led the retreat included Real Estate, Oil & Gas and Communications, contributing to the overall downward pressure on the index at the close in Tel Aviv.
On an individual stock basis, Camtek Ltd (TASE:CAMT) was the session's strongest performer on the TA 35, gaining 5.73% or 2,870.00 points to finish at 52,990.00. The company’s share price moved to an all-time high at the close. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd (TASE:CLIS) rose 2.37% or 560.00 points to end at 24,150.00, while Harel (TASE:HARL) added 1.50% or 240.00 points to close at 16,240.00.
At the other end of the tape, Azrieli Group Ltd (TASE:AZRG) led declines on the index, falling 3.10% or 1,400.00 points to trade at 43,730.00 at the close. Navitas Petroleum LP Unit (TASE:NVPTp) slipped 2.91% or 360.00 points to finish at 12,000.00, and Shapir Engineering Industry (TASE:SPEN) declined 2.63% or 86.00 points to 3,181.00.
Market breadth on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange reflected more sell-side activity, with 315 stocks falling, 155 advancing and 78 ending unchanged.
Commodity prices showed mixed, modest moves during the session. Crude oil for April delivery fell 0.29% or 0.19 to $65.44 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery edged up 0.01% or 0.01 to $70.59 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract rose 0.74% or 38.51 to trade at 5,214.81 a troy ounce.
Currency markets showed a firmer shekel versus major currencies in the reported session. USD/ILS was down 0.45% to 3.09, while EUR/ILS fell 0.18% to 3.65. The US Dollar Index Futures slipped 0.09% to 97.68.
Summary of the session:
- TA 35 fell 0.15% at the close in Tel Aviv.
- Real Estate, Oil & Gas and Communications were the weakest sectors on the day.
- Camtek climbed to an all-time closing high after a 5.73% gain.
- Market breadth favored decliners by a margin of roughly two to one.
The session combined sector-led weakness with isolated strength among select insurance and technology-related names. Movements in commodity prices and foreign exchange rates were limited but measurable, and they accompanied the mixed performance among listed equities.