Harel Insurance to Launch New Trading Services in Israeli Capital Market
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Harel Insurance is launching a new trading division and has applied for membership on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange to enter the growing Israeli capital market. The move aims to capture market share from traditional banks, which have seen their dominance decline with the rise of non-banking institutions and new retail investors. Harel's expansion is seen as a significant boost to the Israeli stock market, potentially increasing competition and investor access.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Harel Insurance is establishing a new trading division and applying for membership on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
- The move aims to capitalize on the growing interest and new investors in Israel's capital market.
- Non-banking institutions have significantly increased their market share, reducing the dominance of traditional banks.
- Over 1.6 million trading accounts exist in Israel, with 200,000 new retail accounts opened in 2025.
- TASE CEO Itai Ben-Ze'ev stated Harel's entry will enhance competition and investor access.
The insurance and finance company Harel is establishing a new trading division, aiming to capture a share of the Israeli capital market, which has seen consistent growth due to increased investor interest and the influx of new participants. The company's subsidiary, Harel Securities Trading, has applied for membership on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) to facilitate this expansion. Elad Simas, formerly VP of Data and Innovation at Harel Finances, will lead the new trading operation as its CEO.
This move will make Harel one of the 25 banks and exchange members currently active in Israel's stock market. The Israeli market has experienced a significant boom, with over 1.6 million trading accounts, including approximately 200,000 opened by retail investors in 2025 alone, according to TASE data. Non-banking institutions have been steadily gaining market share from traditional banks, with their share of new accounts dropping from 94% six years ago to 53% in 2024.
Leading investment houses like Meitav, IBI, and Excellence each report adding around 30,000 trading accounts annually. Meitav is the largest non-banking player with 132,000 accounts, followed by Excellence (100,000) and IBI (95,000). Harel Finances CEO Michael Ben-Velgi expressed excitement about the expansion, citing the global and local growth in private investor activity and Harel's strategy to offer comprehensive services. TASE CEO Itai Ben-Ze'ev welcomed Harel's entry, stating it will enhance competition, broaden service offerings, and improve accessibility to the capital market for investors, noting that the Israeli market still has significant growth potential compared to developed global markets.
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