Hebrew Report: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Hits Record Levels Amid Regional Tensions and Global "Energy Crisis" Expectations

SadaNews Economy Translation - The Hebrew newspaper Globes reported that the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange recorded unprecedented historical levels at the opening of trading, with the main indices "Tel Aviv 35" and "Tel Aviv 125" jumping to their highest peaks since establishment, driven by strong activity in the technology and banking sectors, despite the prevailing security tensions in the region.

Market Performance: Local Rise and Decline in "Wall Street"

According to SadaNews Economy translation, the local market experienced a state of optimism, as the "Tel Aviv 35" index surpassed the 4500-point barrier for the first time. In contrast, caution prevailed in the U.S. markets (Nasdaq and S&P 500), where stocks retreated amid fears of escalation between the United States and Iran and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Sectorally, "biotechnology" and "clean energy" companies led the increases, while the "defense" sector was the only one that recorded a slight decline.

Massive Deals and Corporate Movements

NICE: The company was the star of the trading day, as its stock surged by over 21% in a single day, following reports of a massive deal to sell its "Actimize" sector specializing in AI for fraud detection for nearly $2.5 billion, according to SadaNews Economy translation.

Oil and Gas Sector: Registered a decline due to a drop in global oil prices, in addition to the announcement of the resignation of "Yossi Abu", the CEO of "NewMed", after 15 years in his position, which led to a 5% drop in the company's stock.

Amazon and Logistics: Amazon's plan to launch an autonomous transport system dealt a blow to the stocks of global shipping companies such as FedEx, which saw a significant decline in its shares.

eBay and GameStop: eBay's stock saw significant interest following a surprising and massive acquisition offer from GameStop valued at $56 billion, in a move described as very bold given the disparity in the sizes of the two companies, as translated by SadaNews, citing the newspaper.

Cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin

Cryptocurrency companies experienced a significant recovery following legal updates allowing platforms to offer benefits and discounts to holders of "stablecoins" (pegged to the dollar). As a result, the price of Bitcoin surged past the $80,000 mark, its highest level in three months.

Currency Exchange: Why Is the Dollar Not Rising Against the Shekel?

Despite security tensions, it is noted that the shekel has remained resilient and has recently appreciated. Data from the "Bank of Israel" indicates that the reason is due to major financial institutions (such as pension and insurance funds) selling large amounts of dollars amounting to $5.2 billion recently, aiming to reduce risks, which created a surplus of dollars in the local market that strengthened the shekel.

Warnings of "Economic Recession" and Energy Crisis

While there is a state of joy in stock markets, international experts issued strong warnings. "Amrita Sen", an expert in energy economics, pointed out that the world may be heading towards a major recession and that investors are ignoring the current energy shortage crisis. She warned that food prices may soon rise due to a shortage of fertilizers and high natural gas prices.

Interest and Inflation Expectations

SadaNews Economy translated from the newspaper that in Israel, the central bank is facing a dilemma in decision-making; on one hand, the strength of the shekel helps in lowering prices, while on the other hand, rising fuel prices and military tensions increase the inflation risk. Markets expect that the interest rate will be lowered only once this year, provided that field calm continues.

Analyst Recommendations

The global "UBS" bank raised its forecasts for the Israeli company "Siva", which specializes in artificial intelligence chips, indicating that its stock is likely to rise by up to 30%, especially after its technologies were integrated into modern "Toyota" car manufacturing.