Weekly Review: 3 - 7 March

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3 - 7 March 2013
 
 
 
Trading on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) during the first week of March ended higher in most leading TASE's indices.
 
 
                                      
TA-25
The TA-25 index increased 0.4% over the week, bringing year-to-date increase to 3.5%.
 
 
TA-100
The TA-100 index increased 0.5% over the week, bringing year-to-date increase to 4.5%.
 
 
TA-Biomed
The TA-Biomed index stood out and increased 1.6% over the week and bringing return since the beginning of the year to 10.3%.
Government Bonds
This week the Ministry of Finance floated US $0.4 billion government bonds in an offering on the local market.
Since the beginning of the year, the Israeli government has raised US $3.7 billion from public bond offerings.
 
Corporate  Bonds
Three companies raised US $120 million in public bond offerings.
 
Most of the sum, US $92 million, was raised by the foreign real-estate Zarasai Group,. in its first public bond offering.
 
Since the beginning of the year the business sector has raised US $2.5 billion through corporate bond offerings.
Foreign Investors
The Bank of Israel released figures indicating that foreign investors invested a net US $340 million and US $200 million in TASE-traded shares and government bonds, respectively. This follows a net investment of US$ 430 million in shares and net divestment of US $230 million in bonds in 2012.
 
Preliminary figures for February indicate a continuation of this trend with a net investment of US $270 million in government bonds and US $90 million in shares.
 
Unemployment
The Central Bureau of Statistics released January employment figures indicating that unemployment decreased from 6.8% in December 2012 to 6.5% in January 2013.
 
 
Sector Indices
 
WEEK
YTD 2013
TA Bluetech-50
0.3%
0.6%
TA Banks
-1.0%
 2.6%
TA Real Estate-15
-0.1%
 6.6%
 
Foreign Exchange
 
WEEK
YTD
2013
Dollar/NIS
0.0%
-0.3%
Euro/NIS
-0.4%
-1.4%
 
 
 
 
 
 
Facts & Figures
The Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange features in February 2013:
·   529 companies listing equities (Ex. ETNs).
·   441 index-tracking products.
·   35 series of government bonds.
·   88 Series of Institutional bonds.
·   647 series of corporate bonds.
·   1,294 mutual funds.
·   Market Cap. (US$ billions)
o    Equities - 169
o    Government bonds – 124
o    Corporate bonds - 100
About TASE
Established in September 1935, the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange is Israel’s sole securities exchange, offering an increasingly sophisticated range of products to investors, including equity, corporate bonds, treasury bills and notes, index products and derivatives.
International
In recent years, TASE has enhanced its international presence, signing Memoranda of Understanding with the London Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, NYSE-Euronext the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and Toronto Stock Exchange.