| NONRESIDENTS |
| Investment by nonresidents on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) in government bonds and makam increased greatly in January 2010. |
| Bonds: in January nonresidents’ invested a significant $1.9 billion in Israeli government bonds and makam (short-term Bank of Israel Bills) on the TASE. Of this, $1.3 billion was in makam, and the rest in government bonds, mostly Shahar unindexed bonds and Galil indexed bonds. In the whole of 2009, nonresidents' investments in Israeli government bonds traded on the TASE totaled $1.7 billion, in contrast to 2008 when there were net sales of $1.5 billion. |
| Investment in Israeli shares: In January 2010 nonresidents invested a net $200 million in Israeli shares traded on the TASE, following net investments of $60 million in December. Most of the investment was in shares of communication, and pharmaceutical companies. At the same time nonresidents sold $30 million of Israeli shares sold abroad. In the whole of 2009, nonresidents invested a total of $1.7 billion in Israeli shares traded on the TASE, in contrast to 2008 when they realized a similar amount of investments. |
| Nonresidents' net direct investment in Israel via the banking system totaled $360 million in January, most of which was in the bio-med and high-tech industries. In 2009 there was a sharp decline in nonresidents' direct investments, to $3.8 billion, compared with $10.8 billion in 2008 and $8.8 billion in 2007. |
| RESIDENTS |
| Net investment in foreign shares by institutional investors moderated. |
| Shares: In January 2010 Israelis’ net investment in foreign shares traded abroad amounted to $580 million. Of the total, $300 million was investment by households, and $260 million by institutional investors, lower than the average per month in the last quarter of 2009. In 2009 as a whole investments in foreign shares abroad by institutional investors', mainly provident funds and insurance companies, increased steeply, to $5.3 billion, up from $2 billion in 2008 and $1 billion in 2007. |
| Bonds: Israelis invested a net $170 million in foreign bonds in January 2010. In 2009 investment in foreign bonds totaled $820 million, most by institutional investors. In 2008 there were net sales of investments, totaling $930 million. |
| Direct investments abroad: In January there was a small amount of net sales. In 2009 as a whole direct investment abroad by Israelis declined steeply, to $1.2 billion, compared with $7.2 billion in 2008 and $8.6 billion in 2007. |
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