Strauss Group and Ayalon Investment Added to Israel's Concentration Entities List

The Strauss Group, Israel's second-largest food company, has been added to the official list of concentration entities in the Israeli economy following a significant increase in its sales. The updated list was published by the Committee for Reducing Concentration. Strauss Group and its controlling shareholders, Ofra Strauss, Adi Strauss, and Irit Strauss, along with all corporations under their control, were included due to their fiscal year 2025 sales surpassing the legal threshold of approximately 7 billion shekels.

Similarly, Ayalon Investments, controlled by Noam Barurman, and its affiliated corporations were also added to the list of concentration entities. The financial bodies within Ayalon's group were included in the list of significant financial entities after their total managed assets exceeded the statutory limit in fiscal year 2025.

Being listed as a concentration entity means that any licensing or concessions related to essential infrastructure or government privatizations involving these groups require the regulator to consider economy-wide concentration implications and consult the Committee for Reducing Concentration. Additionally, the listing imposes obligations regarding the separation between significant real corporations and significant financial entities.

Following the update, the list now includes 91 groups featuring at least one of the following: significant financial entities (18 groups, including 5 banks and 12 institutional bodies), significant real corporations (30 groups), influential players in broadcasting or print media, or entities with dominant activity in essential infrastructure sectors.

Strauss Group's sales grew by 11.6% to 12.5 billion shekels, driven by consecutive price increases in Israel and globally due to rising raw material costs, particularly coffee and cocoa. Domestic sales in Israel increased by 5.3% to 6.3 billion shekels in 2025, reflecting double-digit price hikes implemented since early 2025.