Calcalist

Mortgage volume reached 11.5 billion shekels in July, an 8% increase year-on-year. Experts warn that these figures reflect past transactions and create a misleading sense of market health.

Swiss sports footwear brand On reported second-quarter results that missed analyst expectations. Following a slowdown in US sales growth, the company's shares plunged by 22%.

Savers in the 'Savings for Every Child' program are shifting funds from banks to provident funds. By the end of 2025, the share of bank-managed accounts dropped to 16%.

Strauss closed the second quarter of 2026 with a 6.7% decline in sales to 2.87 billion shekels. However, net profit doubled to 195 million shekels due to improved operating margins.

The foreign exchange market is seeing moderate movements as investors await US inflation data. The dollar is strengthening by 0.1% to 3.004 shekels.

Bank Leumi has announced the cancellation of an option allocation for CEO Hanan Friedman. The decision follows a directive from the Banking Supervision Department prohibiting the linkage of executive compensation to the performance of individual subsidiaries.

Mohamed Alabbar, the developer behind the Burj Khalifa, is planning a $20 billion investment in two mega-projects in Syria. The initiative includes a new city near Damascus and a Mediterranean Riviera in Latakia.

The Cleanliness Fund under the Ministry of Environmental Protection is facing a 4 billion shekel deficit. The ministry has stopped publishing financial reports, and commitments have exceeded the fund's revenues for the past 8 years.

Businessman Ronen Ganon is acquiring a 69.9% stake in Multi Retail for 166 million shekels. The deal values the company at 238 million shekels, representing a 60% premium over its Tel Aviv Stock Exchange valuation.

The securities trading platform eToro is acquiring American broker TradeZero in a deal worth up to $231 million. The move aims to expand eToro's US presence and strengthen its competitive position against Robinhood.

Credit card company CAL is planning to reduce its workforce by 10% to 15%, affecting 150 to 220 positions. This move follows the loss of the El Al FlyCard franchise to Isracard earlier this year.

LinkedIn is shutting down its R&D center in Israel, resulting in the layoff of approximately 50 employees. The facility, established following the acquisition of Oribi, will cease most of its operations.

Amot has lowered its 2026 forecast due to a slowdown in office leasing caused by the war with Iran. Despite this, management reports a recovery in demand since the end of hostilities and expects improved operational metrics next year.

Max Stock has convened a shareholders' meeting to approve a 51% increase in the annual compensation of CEO and founder Ori Max to 7.77 million shekels. The move aims to incentivize continued value creation for the company and its shareholders.

Doral Energy is investing $738 million (approximately 2.2 billion shekels) into its US subsidiary, Doral LLC. This strategic move increases the parent company's stake from 26% to 53.2%.

President Donald Trump's media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, reported a quarterly loss of 238.1 million dollars. The decline was primarily driven by losses in digital asset trading.

The weakening of the dollar boosted Max Stock's profits in the second quarter. The discount store chain reported a 12.7% increase in sales to 379 million shekels and a 35.7% jump in net profit.

At the start of the trading week, the shekel continues to strengthen, with the dollar falling 0.2% to 2.99 shekels. The euro weakened by 0.3%, trading above 3.45 shekels.

Israel's government deficit has dropped to 3.3% of GDP, a surprise amid the ongoing war. The Treasury has accumulated a 19 billion shekel safety cushion but fears disclosing these figures.

Shamir Energy, controlled by Meir Shamir, is in talks to acquire 30%-70% of the power plant owned by Ari Nadlan and Tzahi Abu, as well as Jackie Ben Zaken, in the Menashe Regional Council.

The pharmaceutical company CTS is being sold to Dexcel Pharma for approximately 250 million shekels. The acquisition covers only the pharmaceutical operations, while other business units remain separate.

Real estate investment trusts Sela Capital Real Estate and Menivim REIT have improved their financial performance, seeking to offset the office market downturn by investing in retail and logistics assets.

The Israel Tax Authority is promoting a new plan, "Israel Invoice 2.0 - VAT Online," aimed at shifting VAT reporting and payment to a real-time digital infrastructure. The reform seeks to reduce tax fraud and streamline business operations.

Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein is preparing for an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts value the company at $22-25 billion, a significant drop from its 2022 peak.

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has fallen below 300 million barrels, reaching its lowest level since 1983. Amid the war with Iran and concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices have jumped by 4%.

The Histadrut and the management of Ashdod Marine Traffic have signed a new collective agreement. The deal includes salary increases and adapts work processes to accommodate new giant vessels.

Advocate Sigalit Assayag-Tzruya, who spent seven years chairing the Central District Appeals Committee for Planning and Construction, has joined Firon Law Firm as a partner. She will lead the firm's planning and construction practice, leveraging over 20 years of public sector experience.

The Israeli financial system is targeting children with new digital tools and educational content. However, there is a fundamental conflict of interest in letting banks define financial literacy for the next generation.

The most dangerous moment in a young company's life is not when the initial plan fails, but months later, when the team identifies a necessary pivot but lacks the capital to prove it works.

The Israel Tax Authority is considering a review of the 'trapped profits' law, which imposes a tax burden on small and medium-sized businesses while exempting large corporations.

The state budget deficit for the last 12 months stood at 3.3% of GDP, unchanged from June. State revenues in July climbed to 55 billion shekels.

Global Spirit, the official importer of Finlandia vodka, has filed a lawsuit against distributor M. Almog Marketing. The plaintiff alleges that the defendant is illegally applying branding stickers to parallel-imported bottles.

Doral is increasing its stake in its US subsidiary, Doral LLC, to 53.2% through a $738 million investment. The deal aims to strengthen the company's primary growth engine and provide sufficient liquidity for project development.

About a year and a half after the abolition of building exemptions, the Ramat Gan municipality has introduced an "Exemption Anchoring Plan." This move is resulting in betterment levies of hundreds of thousands of shekels for owners of old apartments during property sales.

Between 2021 and 2024, car insurance premiums jumped by an average of 42%, but since early 2025, rates have decreased by about 10%. Many companies still offer renewals at last year's prices, which often leads to significant overpayment for consumers.

The shekel shows a slight retreat at the start of inflation week. With CPI data due in the US on Wednesday and in Israel on Friday, markets are bracing for key indicators that will influence future central bank decisions.

Since the beginning of the year, 20 companies have raised 7.7 billion shekels through IPOs. Despite the success of the defense sector, nine out of 19 stocks currently trade below their IPO price amid market caution.

Israel's largest financial asset firm, Phoenix, is launching its own hedge fund division. The company is recruiting senior industry professionals to compete with established firms like Sphera and Alpha.

The attempt to lower canned tuna prices by removing customs duties led to a meager 1.1% reduction in consumer prices. Savings for households are estimated at 3.35 shekels per person annually.

After suffering heavy losses from 'dream stocks', Israeli retail investors are shifting their portfolios toward chip giants and AI. This transition reflects a move from chasing hype to targeting long-term macro trends.