Stocks in Israel ended the trading day lower on Friday, with the TA 35 index finishing down 0.33% after pressure from Technology, Communication and Biomed sectors.
The session saw a mix of notable winners and laggards among large-cap names. NICE Ltd (TASE:NICE) led gains on the TA 35, climbing 6.48% - an increase of 1,920.00 points - to close at 31,570.00. ICL Israel Chemicals Ltd (TASE:ICL) added 2.50%, or 40.00 points, finishing the day at 1,640.00. Nova (TASE:NVMI) also advanced, up 2.08% or 2,540.00 points to end at 124,480.00.
On the downside, Next Vision Stabilized Systems (TASE:NXSN) recorded the largest decline on the TA 35, sliding 5.57% - a drop of 1,180.00 points - to close at 20,010.00. Tower Semiconductor Ltd (TASE:TSEM) lost 4.35% or 3,430.00 points to finish at 75,370.00. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange stock itself (TASE:TASE) was down 3.23%, or 390.00 points, closing at 11,700.00.
Market breadth on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange favored rising issues, with 254 stocks advancing versus 182 that fell; 122 issues ended unchanged.
Commodities saw modest gains during the session. Crude oil for September delivery rose 0.58%, gaining 0.47 to trade at $81.72 a barrel. Brent crude for October delivery increased 0.93%, or 0.81, to $87.88 a barrel. Precious metals advanced as well, with the December Gold Futures contract up 0.42%, or 18.67, to trade at $4,439.07 a troy ounce.
Foreign exchange moves included the US dollar weakening against the shekel; USD/ILS declined 0.18% to 2.96. The euro strengthened versus the shekel as EUR/ILS rose 0.24% to 3.42. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.42% at 99.44.
Overall, the trading day combined sector-specific weakness in Technology, Communication and Biomed with selective stock-level strength, while commodity and currency markets showed modest upward moves for oil and gold and a softer US dollar versus the shekel.
Market movers
- NICE Ltd - best performer on the TA 35, up 6.48% to 31,570.00.
- ICL Israel Chemicals - gained 2.50% to 1,640.00.
- Nova - rose 2.08% to 124,480.00.
- Next Vision Stabilized Systems - fell 5.57% to 20,010.00.
- Tower Semiconductor - down 4.35% to 75,370.00.
- Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) stock - declined 3.23% to 11,700.00.
Session breadth and market context
Advancers outnumbered decliners 254 to 182, with 122 stocks unchanged, reflecting a market where gains at individual stocks did not translate into a positive close for the benchmark.