The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) rose today. The Tel Aviv 25 Index rose 0.39% to 1,233.61 points, the Tel Aviv 100 Index rose 0.41% to 1,092.59 points, and the BlueTech 50 Index rose 0.13% to 339.14 points. Turnover was NIS 1.27 billion.
The TASE rose again today in line with gains on European markets and at the opening on Wall Street. Yesterday, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was unchanged in September, defying analysts' expectations of a rise of up to 0.5%. Today, it announced, in its First Annual Flash Estimates, that GDP growth will slow to 3.5% in 2012 from 4.6% growth in 2011 and 5% growth in 2010
In the bond market, long-term Shahar unlinked government bonds rose by to 0.5% but long-term Galil CPI-linked bonds fell by up to 0.5%. The corporate bond benchmark Tel-Bond 20 Index fell 0.02%.
In the foreign currency market, the Bank of Israel set the shekel-dollar representative exchange rate at NIS 3.813/$, down 0.08% on yesterday's rate, and set the shekel-euro representative exchange rate at NIS 4.962/€, up 0.19%.
In the stock market, Leviathan and Tamar partners resumed their slide today. Avner Oil and Gas LP (TASE: AVNR.L) and Delek Drilling LP (TASE: DEDR.L) fell 0.5% and 0.9%, respectively, although parent company Delek Group Ltd. (TASE: DLEKG) rose 1.6%. Their Tamar partner Isramco Ltd. (Nasdaq: ISRL; TASE: ISRA.L) fell 2.4%, but their Leviathan partner Ratio Oil Exploration (1992) LP (TASE:RATI.L) rose 3.8%.
Azrieli Group Ltd. (TASE: AZRG) rose 0.4%, after a presentation by CEO Shlomo Sherf said that the company would boost its cash flow from operations from NIS 1 billion to NIS 1.7 billion by 2016, while keeping its debt ratio below 50%. However, its Tel Aviv 100 peer, Gazit-Globe Ltd. (NYSE: GZT; TASE: GLOB) fell 3% for the biggest loss among Tel Aviv 25 shares.
Israel Corporation (TASE: ILCO) rose 3.2% for the biggest gain among Tel Aviv 25 shares, while subsidiary Israel Chemicals Ltd. (TASE: ICL) rose 2.4% on the day's biggest turnover of NIS 102.2 million.
Mizrahi Tefahot Bank (TASE:MZTF) fell 1.1%, after chairman Jacob Perry announced his resignation to enter politics. Bank Leumi (TASE: LUMI) rose 1.8%, and Bank Hapoalim (TASE: POLI) was unchanged.
Insurance companies, listed on the Tel Aviv 100 Index, continued to gain ground, led by a 5.8% gain by Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings Ltd. (TASE: MGDL) and a 5% gain by The Phoenix Holdings Ltd. (TASE: PHOE1;PHOE5).
Tel Aviv 100 listed Prolor Biotech Inc. (AMEX: PBTH; TASE: PBTH) fell 1.3%, despite announcing successful preclinical trial results, and Mid-Cap BiolineRX Ltd. (Nasdaq: BLRX); TASE:BLRX) rose 8.6%, after a similar announcement, and Mid-Cap Silicom Ltd. (Nasdaq:SILC; TASE:SILC) rose another 2.9%, following its design win yesterday.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 16, 2012
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