According to Globes, the Bank of Israel has announced that foreign investors purchased Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) stocks worth a net $400 million in May 2009. This development comes after selling a net $200 million of these stocks in the months of March and April. Most of the investment was made in chemical and pharmaceutical company shares. During that period, foreign investors sold a net $280 million of Israeli shares traded abroad.



Globes states that foreign investors also bought $180 million worth of government bonds during May, mostly Shahar unlinked bonds. Total foreign direct investment remained $300 million, unchanged from March and April.



The Bank of Israel divulged that Israelis invested a net $790 million in tradable foreign shares abroad in May. Institutional investors bought $535 million of foreign stocks, while households and the business sector each bought $130 million. Israelis acquired $508 million worth of foreign stocks in April, continuing the trend since the beginning of the year.



Israelis also bought $375 million worth of foreign bonds in May, and made $60 million in direct foreign investment.