Israel's stock market finished the trading day in the red on Monday with the main benchmark, the TA-35, sliding 2.98% at the close. Market breadth was decisively negative as more than three times as many issues fell as rose.
Sector weakness was concentrated in Insurance, Financials and Biomed names, which contributed materially to the index's drop. At the close in Tel Aviv, the TA-35 registered a 2.98% loss.
Among the session's top performers on the TA-35, ICL Israel Chemicals Ltd (TASE:ICL) led gains, advancing 8.95% or 137.00 points to finish at 1,668.00. Navitas Petroleum LP Unit (TASE:NVPTp) added 1.16% or 150.00 points, ending the day at 13,050.00, while Ormat Technologies (TASE:ORA) rose 0.35% or 120.00 points to close at 34,000.00.
On the downside, Camtek Ltd (TASE:CAMT) posted the steepest decline, sliding 7.93% or 4,030.00 points to a close of 46,820.00. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd (TASE:CLIS) fell 6.39% or 1,740.00 points to end at 25,500.00, and Tower Semiconductor Ltd (TASE:TSEM) declined 6.23% or 2,310.00 points to 34,770.00.
Broad market internals reflected the sell-off: falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange by 373 to 106, while 69 issues finished unchanged.
Commodities and currency moves accompanied the equity rout. Crude oil for April delivery strengthened 4.74% or 4.31 to trade at $95.21 a barrel. Brent oil for May delivery climbed 5.79% or 5.37 to $98.06 a barrel. In metals, the April Gold Futures contract slipped 0.96% or 49.66 to trade at $5,109.04 a troy ounce.
In foreign exchange, USD/ILS was up 0.31% at 3.10, while EUR/ILS showed a 0.09% move to 3.60. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.05% to 99.03.
The session's price action left clear sector-level distinctions: commodity-linked and select industrial names outperformed, while insurers, financial groups and biomedical companies underperformed, pressuring the benchmark lower.
Summary of key market data from the close:
- TA-35: -2.98%
- Advancers vs Decliners: 106 vs 373, 69 unchanged
- Top gainer (TA-35): ICL +8.95% (1,668.00)
- Top loser (TA-35): CAMT -7.93% (46,820.00)
- Crude (April): +4.74% to $95.21/bbl
- Brent (May): +5.79% to $98.06/bbl
- Gold (April Futures): -0.96% to $5,109.04/oz
- USD/ILS: +0.31% to 3.10; EUR/ILS: 0.09% to 3.60
- US Dollar Index Futures: +0.05% at 99.03
This session's movements underscore the immediate market drivers reflected in sector-level performance and commodity prices rather than company-specific news flows. The net result was a clear downward trajectory for the benchmark at the close.