September Sees Minor Fluctuations for Israeli Savers' Investments

September proved to be a relatively uneventful month for most Israeli savers, with minimal changes in their pension and severance funds. The general track is expected to close the month with a slight decrease of approximately 0.1%, while the stock-focused track anticipates a modest gain of around 0.2%. The weakening of the Israeli shekel against the US dollar helped to mitigate potential losses.

International markets showed mixed results in September. In the United States, the Dow Jones fell by 4.3% and the S&P 500 by 0.5%, though the Nasdaq managed a 1.9% increase. European markets experienced more significant downturns, with the German DAX dropping 4% and the French CAC 40 falling 4.4%. Japan's Nikkei, however, saw a slight rise of 0.7%.

The local bond market also contributed to the muted performance. The government bond index declined by 0.6%, with shekel-denominated bonds down 0.9%. Corporate bonds fared slightly better, with the general index showing a decrease of about 0.1%.

Despite the lackluster September, the year-to-date performance remains positive. Meitav estimates that the general track has yielded approximately 6.8% from January to September, and the stock-focused track has returned around 11.6%. Comprehensive pension funds show similar positive trends, with the track for those under 50 up about 9.2% for the year, those aged 50-60 up 7.9%, and those over 60 up 6%.