$10.2B in foreign investment, $750M Greece defense deal, TASE records | TV10 Daily
Re: December 8, 2025 in Israel - and what it all means for investors at home and abroad.
Tech deals drive foreign investment up 35%
Foreign capital is surging back into the Israeli market. New data from the Ministry of Finance reports $10.2 billion in direct investment (FDI) for the first half of 2025, a sharp 35% year-over-year increase and the strongest half-year performance since the 2021 peak. US-based capital accounts for 62% of the total inflow. Other significant countries are the UK, Germany, China, Sweden and France.
The software sector accounted for ~70% of the total value of transactions, followed by the life sciences sector (~10%).
Looking forward, Israel’s Chief Economist, Dr. Shmuel Abramson, remarked:
“The tax reform on investment funds in Israel, announced by the Minister of Finance in November 2025, is expected to be a key anchor for attracting foreign investment to Israel in the coming years.”
Elbit arms Greece, Migdal debuts ‘Catastrophe Bond’
On the heels of Israel’s massive defense deal with Germany, Reuters reported that Greece has approved a ~$750M purchase of artillery from Elbit Systems (TASE:ESLT). The package includes 36 PULS rocket systems as part of the Greek army’s $33B modernization plan. The stock was up 0.11% today.
Migdal Insurance (TASE:MGDL) has issued Israel’s first “Catastrophe Bond,” raising $100M via Turris Re Ltd, led by Howden Re. This offloads earthquake risk to capital markets investors, who earn returns if no major loss occurs. The stock was up 4.61% today.
The domestic front: how much do Israelis make?
Wage inequality deepens in Israel. The top decile of Israelis now earn an average of ₪68,000 per month, covering 63% of all direct taxes. The bottom 50% of the population takes home 10% of total income. The average Israeli income rose to ₪13,321 in October, up 2.7% year-over-year. Tech salaries grew 6.3% to ₪33,366. Israelis commonly refer to wages on a monthly, rather than annual, basis.
And how much does that Shekel buy? Today, inflation is at 2.5%, with monthly average wages barely outpacing it. Cost of living is still an issue for most Israelis. Retail revenue rose just 2% during the Jewish holidays (down from 6.9% prior), with food chains flat, showing no real growth despite the holiday season. Credit card spending jumped 11.8% to ₪49.6B in November, according to new data from Shva.
Prof. Avi Weiss of the Taub Center criticized the 2026 budget for offering no comprehensive solution for cost-of-living pressures.
TASE hits new records
The year-to-date numbers for the top performers on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange TA-125 (TASE:TA125) are staggering. The index tracks the 125 biggest companies by market cap.
Aryt Industries (TASE:ARYT): +362.34%
Meitav (TASE:MTAV): +260.06%
More Investment House (TASE:MRIN): +258.08%
The Sunday session on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange decoupled from broader market sentiment to push flagship indices to absolute all-time highs. TA-35 (TASE:TA35) gained 0.97% yesterday and TA-125 (TASE:TA125) was up 0.9%.
Yossi Levy, CEO of More, said,
“We are in an ongoing rally, but next year will likely see a correction.”
Aryt shares rebounded 14% in two trading days after the company shelved a planned IPO of its defense arm, valuing the unit at ₪ 4.3B. Investor pushback on the IPO had sparked a 20% rout in Aryt’s stock late last week.
TASE snapshot for Monday, Dec. 8, 2025
TA-35 Index (TASE:TA35): +0.23%
TA-90 (TASE:TA90) -0.05%
TA-125 (TASE:TA125) +0.15%
That’s our Monday in Israel. 🎉 If you liked this update, please forward it to a friend.
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Disclaimer: This brief is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. All data current as of publication date.