Tel Aviv Stock Exchange to shift to Monday-Friday trading week starting 2026
Alignment with the trading week of US and European stock markets is expected to ease local and international investments in Israeli capital markets
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday approved a shift to a Monday-to-Friday trading week to align the local stock exchange with global standards and markets abroad. The change is expected to come into effect at the beginning of 2026.
During a visit to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Smotrich said that the transition away from the current Sunday-to-Thursday trading week is intended to adapt the local capital market so it overlaps more with the trading week and hours on Wall Street and European bourses. Trading on Friday will end at 2 p.m., ahead of the start of Shabbat — the Jewish sabbath – when most Israeli businesses close.
“Changing the trading days is a central component of our vision to strengthen the connection between the Israeli capital market, the Israeli economy, and global markets,” Smotrich said. “This move will allow global investors to access the Israeli capital market more easily, invest in our attractive local market without unnecessary and harmful barriers, and strengthen the Israeli economy in the long term.”
The transition to global trading hours was proposed earlier this year by the stock exchange in collaboration with the Israel Securities Authority and Bank of Israel. Previously, the Tel Aviv bourse emphasized that local trading on Friday could facilitate Israel’s inclusion in the MSCI Europe index, a key regional index benchmark popular with investors and fund managers. MSCI is a developer of indexes that are tracked by financial assets worldwide. An index is a collection of stocks that moves according to the shares held within it.
In addition, the alignment of trading days will allow local investors more flexibility in responding to material market announcements abroad, the TASE has argued.
“During the long and difficult war, the Israeli stock exchange demonstrated impressive resilience, strength, and growth,” said TASE CEO Ittai Ben-Zeev. “The transition to a Monday-Friday trading week is an opportunity which will open the door to more international investments, bolster the attractiveness of Israeli companies, and accelerate the growth of the local capital market.”
