49% of Israelis now investors. El Al's $100M dividend. Global LPs bet on new Israeli fund.
Re: January 6, 2026 in Israel - and what it all means for investors at home and abroad.
Quick take:
The Israeli public is getting smart about investing - or at the very least, participating.
While yesterday’s story was about TASE trading volumes hitting a record high for a Monday, today’s story is about who’s in the capital markets. A new report reveals a dramatic shift in the Israeli street: 49% of Israelis now hold an active investment portfolio, up significantly from last year.
Beyond the public’s participation in the capital markets, today we’re looking at El Al distributing dividends, Hetz Ventures raising a new VC fund, and defense firms exporting tech.
Retail investors rising: 49% of Israeli adults in the capital markets
The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange released its annual Israeli Investor Report today, revealing that 49% of the adult Israeli population now holds an active investment portfolio, up from 40% in 2024.
This isn’t just passive pension money. The report highlights a surge in self-managed portfolios. And - Israelis are firing their brokers and moving to trading apps.
Demographics: The average age of the self-managed investor is dropping. A younger, digital-first generation has entered the market.
AI usage: Over 50% of these investors report using AI to assist in decision-making, though they stop short of full automation.
Allocations: While Tech remains the favorite sector, the Banking and Insurance sectors have closed the gap, becoming top targets for the local crowd.
TASE CEO Ittai Ben-Zeev noted a “Trend reversal,” regarding the public mood. With the war winding down, the report cites a sharp rise in economic optimism among active investors.
Aviation - El Al’s $100M distribution
The El Al (TASE: ELAL) board announced a cash dividend of $100 million (approx. 0.57 NIS per share) following a record-breaking financial run. The stock jumped 2.4% on the news.
The payout represents ~30% of the company’s net profit from the first nine months of 2025 ($353M). Perhaps most striking is that El Al is sitting on $1.82 billion in cash and liquidity. While foreign carriers played “Will they, won’t they,” with Ben Gurion Airport throughout the war, El Al kept flying. That exclusivity turned the carrier into a cash-printing machine, with Q3 revenue hitting $1.07 billion.
This payout comes alongside a new incoming CEO, Levy Halevy (formerly CEO of Cal Credit Cards). Halevy, a tech and finance veteran, is taking over from Dina Ben Tal Ganancia. His background suggests the airline’s next phase will focus heavily on digital transformation and efficiency. The stock is up 1.07% today.
Venture capital - Hetz reloads with $140M
Amidst the geopolitical headwinds, Hetz Ventures announced the closing of Hetz IV, a new $140 million fund dedicated to early-stage AI, cyber, and data infrastructure.
This brings Hetz’s total AUM to $500 million in just eight years. Raising a fund above target during a war is a significant vote of confidence from global LPs in the resilience of Israeli tech.
Managing Partner Judah Taub noted that “There has never been a more ambitious generation of Israeli entrepreneurs.”
Defense - deal notes
Solrom Holdings (TASE: SLRM) announced its first operational orders from Israeli security forces for its QCL laser markers. These are long-range and self-designating laser markers used to guide precision munitions. They got a 1.24 million NIS agreement, plus an immediate smaller order for operational use. The stock is up 10.1% today.
Once a product is “battle-proven” by the IDF, export orders usually follow. Don’t let the small dollar figure fool you. In the defense world, the first “Operational Order” is the hardest hurdle to clear. Solroom CEO Matan Rabin noted this proves the “technological maturity” of their product.
PCB Technologies (TASE:PCBT), controlled by FIMI, announced a $4.8 million order for microelectronics assemblies from a major Israeli defense client. PCB’s “miniaturization” unit revenue jumped over 100% in Q3 2025. As weapons get smarter and smaller (drones, loitering munitions), PCB’s high-margin micro-assembly business is exploding. The company’s EBITDA rose 33% in Q3, proving that operational efficiency is catching up to demand. The stock is up 2.09% today.
Water.io (TASE:WATR) shares jumped 7.16% today after its subsidiary, Zoronet, received an order from a defense contractor to pilot an AI monitoring system. Water.io is known for smart packaging, but this deal proves their tech is dual-use. Their system “listens” to data streams in unmanned control rooms rather than processing heavy video feeds. Investors love the agility of a civilian tech company successfully pivoting into the defense sector.
TASE snapshot for Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026
TA-35 Index (TASE:TA35): 🟢 +2.86%
TA-90 (TASE:TA90): 🟢 +1.72%
TA-125 (TASE:TA125): 🟢 +2.55%
That’s our Tuesday here in Israel 🎉
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