Financial

The scope of the use of digital wallets and smart watches reached a peak of NIS 3.2 billion in May: 2.7 times compared to its scope in May 2022, according to SBA data, which develops and manages the national credit card payment system in Israel. Two years ago, in May 2021, Apple Pay entered Israel and was the first international company operating in the field. In the months before that, a number of local digital wallets were operating, but the scope of use was only tens of millions, and when Apple Pay was introduced, the scope of use was only 150 million shekels

The absolute majority of small businesses take advantage of the credit line given to them by the bank. From an inspection conducted by the fintech company Bizzy in the first quarter of 2023, it emerged that 97% of the small businesses took advantage of the credit limit that was given to them, and only 3% did not take advantage of it. The inspection included almost 1,000 bank accounts of about 800 small businesses. The sample data also shows that the effective credit cost increased by 14% during the quarter. Thus, while the cost that the small business pays for the credit line amounted to...

The bill proposing that the banks will be required to pay interest on the current account, which has already passed the committee of ministers and was supposed to go up for a preliminary vote in the plenary on Wednesday, is dropped from the agenda at this stage. Member of Knesset Yanon Azoulai (one of the bill's presenters), announced that "after consultation with Shas movement chairman Rabbi Aryeh Deri, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and coalition chairman Ofir Katz, it was decided to wait with raising the bill, which would oblige the banks To pay interest on the current account...

The data of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) show that the average salary for an Israeli salaried position in April of this year was NIS 12,622, an increase of about 4.7% compared to April 2022 - similar to the inflation rate. Thus the average salary for a salaried position at constant prices (deducted by the price index to the monthly consumer) decreased by 0.2% relative to April of last year and stood at NIS 10,874

Stoa, an Israeli-American start-up company specializing in real estate solutions, has recently announced significant reductions in its activities. The company has laid off most of its employees, with only about 20 individuals remaining out of its original workforce of approximately 100 employees. Stoa, which has not hired workers in Israel since the COVID-19 pandemic, is also halting its expansion and development efforts and is exploring offers to sell its assets and operations. The company currently owns hundreds of real estate properties in the United States

In a recent survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Israel emerged as one of the countries with the highest rate of support for government intervention in dealing with the cost of living crisis. Among the 27 member countries of the OECD, Israel ranked fourth, with a staggering 83% of participants believing that the government should play a role in addressing the rising costs of living

In a significant development within the cybersecurity industry, the French Thales Group has reached an agreement to acquire the Israeli information security company Imperva for an impressive $3.6 billion. The deal, expected to be finalized by the end of the year, will mark a remarkable turn of events for Imperva, which had been purchased by the American Thoma Bravo Fund for $2.1 billion in 2018

Solaredge, a leading manufacturer of solar panel converters and power amplifiers, disappointed investors with a weak forecast for its revenues and profitability in the third quarter of 2023. As a result, its shares plummeted by 12% in late trading. The company reported earnings of $120 million, equivalent to $2.12 per share based on US GAAP, for the second quarter of 2023. This was a decline from the $138 million profit in the first quarter of the year and $15 million in the same quarter in 2022.

Oppenheimer, known for its strong research department, has maintained an "outperform" recommendation for Amdocs (DOX) stock while raising its target price from $99 to $109. The decision comes after Amdocs posted strong fiscal third-quarter results, showcasing annual revenue growth of 6.9% at constant exchange rates. Although the growth rate slightly decelerated compared to the previous quarter, the company remains strategically well-positioned in the cloud services sector, particularly among leading telecom companies undergoing digital transformation

The Automated Bank Services Company has released its data on credit card expenses for the month of July, revealing a remarkable surge of approximately 6.2% compared to the same period last year. With credit card spending reaching an impressive NIS 41.17 billion, July has claimed its spot as the second-highest month of the year for credit card expenditure