Israel's top stories
Power Plant and Server Farm in a Roughly NIS 4 Billion Investment
Sonol, Afcon and Pentalight have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a natural gas power plant with a capacity of about 900 megawatts, alongside a server farm of up to 200 megawatts and an energy storage facility. Sonol will hold 45% of the venture, and Afcon and Pentalight 27.5% each.
Nvidia Faces a Critical Week Over Its Earnings and the Future of CEO Jensen Huang
Nvidia is on the eve of releasing its financial results this week, in what is considered a critical week in the company's history. Alongside its business performance, the question arises whether founder and CEO Jensen Huang will be able to remain in his role.
Anthropic launches Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2 days before IPO
Anthropic has launched two new models, Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2, which it says are about 30% faster than the previous version and about 20% cheaper. The launch comes on the eve of the company's IPO, which may take place next week.
Shufersal and Tadhar Sign Combination Deal in Talpiot, Jerusalem
Shufersal and Tadhar have signed a combination agreement to build a residential, commercial and employment complex on Shufersal land in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem. The joint investment is estimated at about NIS 460 million, and the project includes about 240 apartments and about 12,000 square meters of commercial and employment space.
Wix Names Nir Zohar Co-CEO; Base44 Approaches $250 Million Revenue Run Rate
Wix reported third-quarter revenue of $570 million, a 13% increase, and adjusted profit of about $69 million. The company cut its annual free cash flow forecast due to marketing investments in its Base44 business, which is approaching an annual recurring revenue run rate of $250 million.
Migdal Crosses 5% of Shufersal After Buying Shares Worth NIS 32 Million
Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings became an interested party in Shufersal after buying 1,109,345 shares worth about NIS 32.2 million. Following the purchase, Migdal holds 5.14% of the food chain's shares.
Vanta to Acquire Israeli Firm Pillar Security in Roughly $150 Million Deal
US company Vanta will acquire Pillar Security, an Israeli AI security firm founded in 2023, in a stock and cash deal worth about $150 million. The company has raised $9 million to date.
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Falls More Than 15% From Peak; Dollar Surges to Six-Month High
The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has fallen more than 15% from its recent peak, and the leading indices dropped about 3% over the past week. The dollar jumped to a six-month high, crossing 3.22 shekels.
State Budget Deficit Rises to 3.3% of GDP in October
The annual state budget deficit rose to 3.3% of GDP in October, above NIS 18.3 billion, compared with about NIS 15.2 billion in the same month last year. Since the beginning of the year, revenues totaled NIS 503.3 billion, an increase of about 10%, and expenditures totaled NIS 551.1 billion, an increase of about 4.2%.
Spines Raises $64 Million for AI-Based Book Publishing Platform
Israeli company Spines, which has developed a book publishing platform using AI agents, has completed a $64 million fundraising round: $29 million in equity led by Zeev Ventures of Oren Zeev, and $35 million in debt. The round brings the company's total investment since its founding to $86 million.
Partner has signed an agreement to acquire cellular company Wiko for approximately NIS 265 million. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals from the Ministry of Communications and the Competition Authority.
Amnon Shaashua, controlling shareholder of the digital bank One Zero, is examining a sale of control of the bank at a valuation of about NIS 1.2 billion, or bringing in a financial investor. The bank has accumulated losses of about NIS 1.3 billion, and Shaashua refuses to inject additional capital into the bank.
$15,000 and an apartment in Jerusalem: bonus draw closes on Wednesday
The first bonus draw of the Dream Lottery closes on Wednesday, 11.11, the first day of the month of Kislev. Anyone who buys a ticket by then will enter both the draw for $15,000 in cash and the draw for an apartment in Jerusalem worth $1.3 million.
KFC Israel to Be Put Up for Sale After Accumulating About NIS 50 Million in Debt
The court has approved a request for trustees to put KFC's Israel chain up for sale, after the company accumulated debts of about NIS 50 million. The chain operates 12 branches and employs about 120 workers.
Ruti Brodo's bakery opens for the first time outside Tel Aviv, in Rishon LeZion
The bakery brand of the R2M group has opened its first branch outside Tel Aviv, at the Phoenix campus in the Ha'Elef complex in Rishon LeZion. The branch will also operate on weekends, starting November 13.
Nestlé to Raise Ice Cream Prices in December
Froneri Israel, which markets Nestlé ice cream, will raise its prices starting December 1 by an average of 2.8%. The increase will apply to brands such as Crunch, Extreme, La Frutta and La Cremeria, with updates ranging from 1.3% to 6.8% depending on the product.
Israeli software company Monday.com reported revenue of about $380 million in the third quarter, up 19%, beating forecasts. However, its fourth-quarter forecast points to growth of only 14%, and the shares fell in trading.
Financing Benefits and Demand for Safe Rooms in the Housing Market
The share of new apartments sold with financing benefits in September stood at about 45%, according to Treasury data, the highest since March 2025. In the resale market, 67% of transactions in August involved apartments with a safe room (mamad), compared with 45% of all apartments.
October Credit Data and Shopping IL Days
Israelis' spending on credit cards totaled NIS 51.593 billion in October, a rise of 12.5% compared with October last year. Over the two days of the Shopping IL promotions, about NIS 3.5 billion was spent, an increase of 3.2% compared with last year.
Easing of Lottery Rules for Nonprofits and Small Businesses from January 2027
A new Finance Ministry permit for running lotteries will take effect on January 1, 2027, easing the rules for nonprofit organizations and small businesses. Nonprofits that meet the conditions will be able to hold lotteries by submitting a digital declaration and attaching regulations, without individual approval for each lottery.
Dispute over Tel Aviv headquarters renovation: Check Point sued for millions
A. Sadeh Projects is suing Check Point, claiming it has not been paid the full sum for finishing work and systems at the company's Tel Aviv headquarters. The claim is valued at millions of shekels, including 7.8 million shekels.
Ratio and Murphy Oil Receive Six Gas Exploration Licenses in the Mediterranean
The Energy Ministry has granted Ratio and the American company Murphy six gas exploration licenses in Block G, in Israel's economic waters. Murphy will hold 50% and serve as operator, while Ratio will increase its stake from 10% to 50%.
Rami Levy Considers Opening Stores Abroad
Rami Levy said in a podcast that talks are underway to open stores outside Israel, and that there is strong demand for the chain abroad. According to him, prices in the United States are 3 to 4 times higher than in Israel.
Diplomat Enters Mexico, Acquires 60% of Two Distribution Companies
The Diplomat group will acquire 60% of two distribution and consumer-goods companies in Mexico for about NIS 142 million, about $45 million. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and will mark the group's first entry into Latin America.
Gad Dairies to Pay Heavy Price as Revealed Secret Could Cost It Millions
Gad Dairies will pay 3 million shekels to the state treasury under a settlement, after failing to provide the Competition Authority with full information regarding its merger with Weiler Farm. The Authority delayed approval of the deal and re-examined it after a separate cooperation agreement with Rimilk came to light.
Arad continues to become more Haredi: Shufersal to convert the mall branch into 'Yesh Hesed'
The 'Yesh Hesed' chain will open a new branch in the RD commercial center in Arad within the coming month, the chain said. The complex was purchased a year ago by two entrepreneurs from the Ger Hasidic movement, who intend to adapt it to the Haredi public.
Arkia's board decided to forgo a capital injection that would have diluted employee shares, after a threat of a labor dispute. The company has lost more than $30 million since the beginning of the year and is still looking for a buyer.
Economy Ministry Opens Competitive Process to Import 5,900 Tons of Yellow Cheese Duty-Free for 2027
The Economy Ministry is opening a competitive process to allocate 5,900 tons of yellow cheese duty-free for 2027, aimed at increasing competition and lowering its price for consumers. About 4,070 tons will be allocated to importers who commit to the lowest consumer prices.
Yango Deli to Operate Deliveries from City Market Branches
Yango Deli will begin operating deliveries from City Market chain branches, in a partnership expected to increase its activity by about 50 million shekels a year. In the first stage, the deliveries will enter four locations in Pardes Hanna, Be'er Sheva, Karmi Gat and Netivot.
Israel ranks second in pension returns over the past decade, according to OECD report
Israel ranked second in average real return of pension funds over the past decade, at about 5.5% per year, behind only Costa Rica. In 2025, Israel was among the top three countries in the OECD.
