Calcalist

The Capital Market Authority is intervening for the first time to limit institutional involvement in public company management. The regulator is demanding clarifications from the Mor investment house regarding its actions in Orion.

Aggressive competition between credit card companies, driven by the battle for the FLY CARD franchise, has led to significant marketing expenses. Isracard and Cal report growth in credit portfolios amid leadership changes.

The number of job seekers who are software developers and application analysts has risen over the last two months by 9%, from 7,950 in May to 8,650 in July, according to the Employment Service.

The Israeli banking sector is entering a new macroeconomic environment where falling interest rates and moderating inflation make profit generation more challenging, yet major banks continue to report strong financial results.

In July, the consumer price index rose by 0.3%, bringing annual inflation down to 1.5%—the lowest rate since May 2021. The Israeli economy demonstrates resilience, not generating inflation despite the ongoing war.

Berkshire Hathaway sharply increased its holdings in Alphabet during the last quarter. Greg Abel, who replaced Warren Buffett as CEO at the beginning of the year, increased Berkshire's holdings in Alphabet by 83%.

In 2025, Elon Musk earned 2.5 million times more than the average Tesla employee. According to an AFL-CIO report, the income gap between top executives and workers in S&P 500 companies continues to widen significantly.

An investor group led by Jeff Bezos has become a minority shareholder in Liverpool FC. The deal values the club at $7.1 billion and includes an option for the group to become majority shareholders within 12 months.

Nofar Energy, controlled by Ofer Yanai, has signed an agreement to acquire the energy company Highlight from real estate developer Gabi Buskila for 200 million shekels. The deal covers 92.5% of the company's shares.

The Bank of Israel has launched a financial support program for 4,500 IDF soldiers facing economic hardship. The initiative is backed by a 7.2 million shekel budget.

The shekel is strengthening this Friday morning as investors digest US inflation data and await Israel's upcoming figures. The dollar is trading at 2.957 shekels.

Raanan Cohen, a startup founder, urges employees and entrepreneurs to sell vested shares immediately upon maturity. He argues that waiting for "just a little more" is a dangerous illusion that often leads to significant financial loss.

Private equity firm Silver Lake is in talks to acquire software company Workday, with a market value estimated at approximately $43 billion. The potential deal could be one of the largest in the software industry.

Alongside new records in business activity, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is dealing with increasing pressure on its cash flow, primarily due to a 5 billion shekel debt from the Ministry of Defense.

The American-Israeli defense company Ondas reported second-quarter revenue of $84 million, a 14-fold increase year-over-year. Despite this growth, the company's operating loss widened to $163 million, driven largely by significant stock-based compensation for executives.

Israel's Cellebrite is appointing a new CEO and lowering its 2026 guidance. Following the announcement, the company's stock plunged more than 20% in premarket trading on the Nasdaq.

Arbitrator Chen Schreiber has determined that the total value of Tiv Taam's acquisition of Mizrach Ve-Maarav will be 131 million shekels. This figure is 8% higher than the valuation set in the original December 2024 agreement.

Despite the slowdown in the residential real estate sector, Africa Israel Residences managed to sell 71 housing units this quarter, with the monetary volume of transactions rising to 248 million shekels.

Tadiran concluded the second quarter with a net profit of 15 million shekels, reversing last year's loss. Revenue rose by 15.1%, driven by a 34% surge in the energy sector.

New York City Council member Zohran Mamdani has announced his support for a bill requiring Amazon to hire couriers as direct employees. The move aims to curb exploitative employment models in the gig economy.

First International Bank has decided to merge its technology subsidiary, Mataf, into its core operations. The bank aims to enhance efficiency and integrate technological development directly into its banking infrastructure.

Tnuva is relocating its 51%-owned "Rico" pasta factory to the Rehovot dairy complex, following the closure of the "Olivia" spreads plant. The project involves an investment of approximately 30 million shekels.

Bank Leumi has announced a partnership with Galaxy Digital to offer digital asset trading services. The service, integrated into the Leumi Trade app, is expected to launch in early 2027.

The betting platform Kalshi reported 32 cases of suspected insider trading to regulators in the second quarter. According to The New York Times, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is currently conducting up to 20 active investigations based on this evidence.

Foreign exchange markets remain calm ahead of Israeli inflation data. The dollar is up 0.1% at 2.98 shekels, while annual US inflation dipped to 3.4% in July.

The Ofir-SouthUp Ventures fund, which invests in technology companies in the Western Negev, is preparing to make its first investments. The fund is expected to raise between $20 million and $30 million.

The Yitzhaki Group, led by Roni Yitzhaki, has acquired a 60-dunam land plot in western Ra'anana from Mishan for 250 million shekels. The site is slated for a large-scale mixed-use urban development project.

The energy company Adelteq, controlled by Uri Adelsburg, is conducting initial contacts to acquire 50% of the Hagit power plant from Shikun & Binui Energy. The value of these holdings is estimated at approximately 800 million shekels net.

Since its IPO in 2021, the shares of infrastructure company Rimon have jumped over 300%, reaching a market cap of 5.3 billion shekels. CEO and controlling shareholder Yossi Almalem, who holds 13.6% of the shares, has requested an update to his compensation terms, including a retention bonus.

Ron Hochman, former CEO of Mizrahi-Tefahot Invest, is launching a new real estate investment firm. The company aims to build a portfolio of 1 billion shekels over the coming years.

Bank Leumi has canceled an option allocation plan for CEO Hanan Friedman following a Bank of Israel directive. The regulator ruled that executive compensation cannot be linked to the performance of a single subsidiary.

Mor Gemel ve-Pensiya reported a total profit of 17.5 million shekels for the second quarter, a 3% decrease year-on-year. Despite this, the company has raised its profit forecast for 2026.

Bazan Chairman Moshe Kaplinsky stated that the company prefers to invest abroad due to uncertainty regarding the future of Israel's refining sector and government plans for its closure.

Brainsway finished the second quarter of 2026 with record results, reporting a 35% revenue increase to $17 million. Following these strong figures, the company has raised its annual guidance.

REIT 1 has made progress in leasing office space at the Infinity complex, but occupancy rates remain below targets. Amid moderate growth in operating income, the fund was forced to revise its annual performance forecast downward.

The Iranian economy is gradually shifting from crisis management to survival management. Households are cutting consumption, switching to installment purchases and second-hand goods, while the government struggles to maintain basic supplies amid rising inflation.

US annual inflation slowed to 3.4% in July, matching market expectations. The Consumer Price Index rose by 0.1% month-over-month.

A review by the Ministry of Finance's Chief Economist indicates that apartment purchase cancellations have surged by 41%, rising from 1,294 in January to 1,821 as of August 2026.

Manif is slowing down new credit distribution amid real estate market stagnation. CEO Maor Duek announced a tightening of the underwriting model to manage risks in the current volatile economic environment.

OPC reported a successful second quarter with revenues jumping 94% to $379 million and adjusted net profit rising to $34 million. The growth was driven by increased ownership in US assets and a shift to dollar-denominated reporting.