Foreign investment in Tel Aviv Stock Exchange tripled in 2013

Foreign investments in companies traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange more than tripled from 2012 to 2013, according to figures the Bank of Israel released Sunday.

Nonresident net investments reached about $1.5 billion in TASE shares in 2013, primarily in pharmaceuticals, banking and communications industries. In 2012, the figure amounted to only $410 million, indicating an increase of some 266% in 2013.
   
Nonresidents also bought $940 million in Israeli shares that were traded abroad, on exchanges such as the NASDAQ, in 2013.

All in all, though, Israelis invested more of their money abroad, with Israel's institutional investors putting some $3.36 billion into foreign shares, households investing $2.1 billion, and the business sector investing $1.3 billion abroad.