16 families control about a fifth of revenue from Israel’s 500 leading companies, getting approximately NIS 118 billion, says Business Data Israel’s (BDI) ranking of the 500 top companies in Israel.
Israel’s top 500 companies account for 40% of business sector employment and 59% of revenue. BDI chairman Amnon Altman said, “The BDI Code 500 of leading companies reflects concentration in the Israeli economy well.”
According to the BDI Code 500, the 16 most influential families in Israel, called the controlling group, are (in alphabetical order) Arison, Borovich, Dankner (Bank Hapoalim (LSE:BKHD; TASE:POLI), Nochi Dankner, Federmann, Fishman, Hamburger, Leviev, the Ofer brothers, Saban, Shachar and Kass, Shmeltzer, Strauss, Tshuva, Wertheim, and Zisapel.
The BDI Code 500 proves that Israel’s business sector is highly concentrated. The aggregate revenue of these 500 companies is NIS 570 billion, 59% of total business sector revenue, excluding diamonds. In contrast, the Fortune 500 list of leading US companies account for 38% of total business sector revenue in the US.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq:TEVA; TASE:TEVA) leads the BDI Code 500, with NIS 21.5 billion in annual sales; followed by Israel Electric Corporation with NIS 14.65 billion; Bank Hapoalim, Israel Chemicals Ltd. (TASE: CHIM), Bank Leumi (TASE:LUMI), Amdocs Ltd. (NYSE:DOX), Bezeq (TASE:BZEQ), Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd., Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. (IAI), and Cellcom Israel Ltd..
The new ranking combines quantitative and qualitative parameters designed to show Israel’s leading companies by turnover, profits, risk level, payment ethic, financial standing and performance, management, innovation, contribution to the community, and social involvement.
The BDI Code ranking is based on methodology developed and tested for several years by BDI and its partners, Coface, an international trade insurance company active in 100 countries.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 21, 2005