Wed: TASE lower on profit taking

Market Overview - The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange experienced a decline, with the Tel Aviv 35 Index falling by 0.79% to 4,160.40 points, and the Tel Aviv 125 Index decreasing by 0.62% to 4,136.01 points. The BlueTech Global Index saw a more significant drop of 2.21%, closing at 677.48 points. The All Bond corporate bond index slightly decreased by 0.03% to 423.72 points. Total turnover in equities was NIS 5.30 billion, while bonds totaled NIS 5.57 billion [1]. Currency Exchange Rates - In the foreign exchange market, the shekel-dollar rate was set at NIS 3.078, reflecting a decrease of 0.195% from the previous day. The shekel-euro rate was set at NIS 3.667, down by 0.109% [2]. Company Performance - Tower Semiconductor Ltd. led the market decline, falling by 5.28% despite reporting strong fourth-quarter results, marking the largest drop on the Tel Aviv 35 Index. Other notable declines included Bank Leumi at 0.54%, Harel Insurance at 2.34%, Elbit Systems at 3.52%, and Nice at 4.80% [3]. - Conversely, Strauss Group saw the largest increase on the Tel Aviv 35 Index, rising by 5.28%. Other companies that experienced gains included Nova Ltd. at 1.32%, Camtek at 3.98%, Israel Discount Bank at 1.06%, and Enlight Renewable Energy at 0.47% [4]. - Notably, shares of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange itself surged by 11.4% following the announcement that US cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks will dual-list on the TASE [4].