Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Weekly Review: June 21-25, 2015

Trading on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) during the fourth week of June was marked by a mixed trend in the leading share indices;
Continued offerings in the bond market

TA-25

The TA-25 index decreased 0.8% over the last week, and increased 14.1% since the beginning of the year, after an increase of 10.2% for the whole of 2014.

TA-100

The TA-100 index decreased 0.8% over the last week, and increased 12.0% since the beginning of the year, after an increase of 6.7% for the whole of 2014.

TA-Com

The TA-Com Index increased 1.8% over the week, and decreased 9.8% since the beginning of the year, after an increase of 10.4% in 2014.

Corporate Bonds

This week four real estate companies raised US$ 345 million in bond offerings to the public. These included"Azrieli Group" which raised US$ 146 million and the "Shikun & Binui" and "Amot" companies which raisedUS$ 90 million each.

Since the beginning of the year the business sector raised US$ 8.4 billion through bonds to the public.

In 2014, the business sector raised US$ 16.1 billion through bonds to the public and institutional investors on the TASE, these including US$ 10.3 billion through bonds to the public.

Government Bonds

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) made a bond offering this week listed on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, amounting to US $0.2 billion, and since the beginning of the year the MoF has raised US $5.2 billion.

In 2014, the MoF raised US $14.5 billion in bond offerings on the TASE.

Constituent update in TASE-BlueStar Israel Global Index (TA-BIGITech)

This week there was the semi-annual constituent update of TA-BIGITech Index - the first index to include Israeli high tech companies or those connected with Israel that are traded on the TASE and/or overseas. The Index can constitute an underlying asset for ETNs and tracker funds in Israel and overseas.

Following the semi-annual update made on June 22, the Index comprises 67 companies with a market cap totaling US$ 84 billion. 38 are companies traded only overseas (US, London and Singapore), 26 are dual listed companies, and 3 companies are traded only on the TASE.

BOI Interest Rate

The Bank of Israel left the interest rate unchanged at 0.1% for July 2015.

Unemployment

The Central Bureau of Statistics released figures indicating that the unemployment rate increased in May 2015 to 5%, after a record low of 4.8% in April 2015, and compared with an average of 5.9% for 2014.

Composite State-of-the-Economy Index

The Bank of Israel released figures indicating that the Composite State-of-the Economy Index rose 0.3% inMay 2015, similar to its rate of growth for the first third of the year.

Sector Indices

                     WEEK
                            2015
    TA Tech-Elite    -0.7% 14.4%
    TA Banks         1.5%  17.8%
    TA Real
    Estate-15        -3.8% 11.02%

Foreign Exchange

               WEEK
                      2015
    Dollar/NIS -1.7% -3.1%
    Euro/NIS   -2.6% -10.6%

Facts & Figures

The Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange features in May 2015:

469 companies listing equities.
629 Exchange Traded Notes.
31 Series of government bonds.
72 Series of Institutional bonds.
590 series of corporate bonds.
1,352 mutual funds.
Market Cap. (US$ billions)
- Equities - 226
- Government bonds - 130
- Corporate bonds - 83