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The Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange Reports the Results of the Financial Statements for the Second Quarter and the First Half of 2024

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TASE records adjusted profit of close to NIS 26 million in the second quarter, compared to NIS 20 million last year 

Revenue in the second quarter of 2024 totals NIS 105.1 million, a 13% increase compared to NIS 92.9 million in the corresponding quarter last yearAdjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 45.8 million, compared to NIS 35.6 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 29%Adjusted net profit in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 25.7 million, compared to NIS 20.4 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 26%

Ittai Ben Zeev, TASE CEO, said today: “TASE continues to show resilience and support the Israeli economy against the backdrop of the ongoing war. We continue to push forward with technological innovation, implementing advanced infrastructure and promoting collaborations in order to upgrade the market, remove barriers and enhance its global accessibility. Now more than ever we are resolved to continue developing the capital market, as part of our unwavering commitment to the Israeli economy, which is pivotal to our national strength.

As part of these efforts, we recently published, in cooperation with the Israel Securities Authority and the Bank of Israel, a call for public comments on the proposal to align the TASE trading week with the global standard; a strong positive response was received in favor of changing to a Monday-through-Friday trading week. We are confident that this strategic move that will make TASE more readily accessible for global investors and increase their involvement in the Israeli capital market, benefiting the Israeli economy in general and the local companies in particular. We are currently examining all the public comments received in order to reach the most fitting solution, both for international investors and for the Israeli capital market.”

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd. (TASE: TASE) today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Trading volumes rose significantly in the first half of the year with growth in indices and solid issuance activity

In the first half of 2024, in the midst of the war, the TA-125 index increased by 3.5%, compared to the 3.8% for the Dow Jones index and compared 14.5% for the S&P 500 index. Equity price rises characterized most sectoral indices, with the TA-Retail index leading the list with a 13% increase, followed by the high-tech companies’ indices – TA-Technology and TA-Global Bluetech, with a 10% and 9% increase, respectively, compared to the concurrent 17% increase in the NASDAQ 100 index. The market cap of the equity market at the end of the first half of the year reached NIS 1,087 billion, a 3% increase over 2023.

Trading volumes in the main trading channels increased significantly in the first half of the year compared to 2023.

In the equity market, trading volumes were 8% higher than the average daily trading volume for all of 2023, and averaged NIS 2.1 billion a day.

The average daily trading volume of bonds reached NIS 4.5 billion in the first half of the year, 15% higher than the average daily trading volume in the year 2023. This increase was driven mainly by the increase in the trading volume of the government shekel bonds, which totaled NIS 2.3 billion, compared to an average of NIS 1.9 billion in the previous year. CPI-linked government bonds also showed stronger trading volumes, at an average daily volume of NIS 1 billion, 1% greater than the average daily trading volume in the full year 2023. The trading volume of corporate bonds averaged NIS 1.1 billion, 12% greater than the average daily trading volume in the previous year.

T-bills also recorded substantial trading volumes in the first half of the year, at a daily average of NIS 1.7 billion, 19% higher than the average daily trading volume in 2023.

Creations and redemptions of mutual funds reached an average daily volume of NIS 1.8 billion, 28% greater than the average daily volume in the year 2023. The market cap of the mutual funds at the end of the first half of the year reached NIS 375 billion, 14% greater than the market cap at the end of 2023, this as a result of acquisitions of mutual funds and the appreciation of the mutual funds’ assets on TASE.

In the first half of the year, 3 companies completed an IPO on TASE, compared to only one company in 2023.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing war and the growing deficit, the Ministry of Finance continued to raise debt in the second quarter of the year. The total amount of debt raised by the Ministry of Finance in bond offerings in the first half of the year totaled NIS 124.4 billion, compared to NIS 76.7 billion in the second half of 2023. NIS 95.7 billion of said amount was raised on TASE.

Continued implementation of the strategic plan – alignment with global standards and diversification of investment products

TASE continues to implement the strategic plan, with significant emphasis on the enhancement of global activity, the alignment of standards and the removal of trading barriers in the interfaces with the international markets.

Further to a call for public comments, published by TASE in collaboration with the Israel Securities Authority and the Bank of Israel, regarding the proposed transition to trading on Fridays as well, in line with the global standard, TASE announces that the proposed move received a very positive response from local and international investors, with a majority supporting a transition to a Monday through Friday trading week. TASE is currently considering options for the implementation of this alignment that would optimally benefit the local capital market and the international investors.

TASE continues to work in cooperation with the various authorities and regulators. Thus, for example, in mid-July, the Ministerial Legislation Committee approved the Securitization Law, which will facilitate, for the first time in Israel, the execution of securitization transactions, in alignment with global practices. Once the legislation is passed by the Knesset, TASE hopes to implement it and open the market already in 2025. In addition, the Israel Securities Authority has recently approved the launch of new money market funds with fixed dates, offering the public access to predetermined yield, this alongside the existing money market funds, allowing for greater product diversity for the benefit of the public.   

TASE continues to actively encourage new brokers to enter the Israeli capital market – since the end of May, Altshuler Shaham Trade is active as a member on TASE and TASE Clearing House, bringing the number of TASE members up to 25, compared to 24 at the end of 2023.

In addition, TASE continues to expand and diversify the range of products and to invest, among others, in new exclusive indices, this as part of its strategy of developing and upgrading the market, especially with the public in mind. In June, for the first time, TASE launched new indices with Kesem, Israel’s largest fund company. In mid-July, TASE announced the launch of 7 additional equity and bond indices, some of which are designated for further collaborations between TASE and the various product issuers.

In the derivatives market, at the beginning of June, TASE reduced the multipliers of options on the TA-35 index, the TA-Banks5 index and the TA-125 index, as well as those of the foreign exchange derivatives traded on TASE. Part of the sources that will derive from the reduction of the underlying assets’ multipliers will be allocated to the development of the market and the enhancement of liquidity in the derivatives’ market by way of a volume rebate program.

Highlights of the results for the second quarter and the first half of 2024:

Revenue in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 105.1 million, compared to revenue of NIS 92.9 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 13%. The increase in revenue is due mainly to an increase in revenue from data distribution and connectivity services, as a result of the increased volume of activity and the impact of the updated index-usage fees. The most significant revenue item – trading and clearing commissions – totaled NIS 38.8 million in the second quarter of the year, compared to NIS 35.5 million in the corresponding quarter last year. 15% of the increase in revenue from trading and clearing commissions is due to an increase in the trading volumes and in the volume of creations/redemptions of mutual fund units. In opposition, a reduction in the effective commission rate in revenue from mutual funds and T-bills reduced the aforesaid increase in revenue by 4%, and there being one less trading day in the current quarter reduced revenue by an additional 2%.

Costs in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 74.8 million, compared to costs of NIS 72.6 million in the corresponding quarter last year, a 3% increase. The higher costs are due mainly to the increase in payroll expenses and technological investments and in computer and communication expenses.

Net financing income in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 2 million, compared to net financing income of NIS 3.6 million in the corresponding quarter last year, a 45% decrease. Financing income in the quarter increased due to interest income on the deposits. At the same time, financing expenses also increased as a result of a bank loan obtained at the end of 2023, resulting in reduced net financing income.

Tax expenses, net in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 8 million, compared to NIS 5.2 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The increase in the tax expense stemmed from the higher pre-tax profit. The increase in the effective tax rate is due to losses on securities in previous years for which deferred taxes were not created.

The profit in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 24.3 million, compared to NIS 18.8 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 29%. The increase in profit was due mainly to the increase in revenue, less the increase in costs and in tax expenses, as described above.

The adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 45.8 million, compared to NIS 35.6 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 29%. Most of the increase is due to the NIS 10 million increase in profit before financing. 

The adjusted profit in the second quarter of 2024 totaled NIS 25.7 million, compared to NIS 20.4 million in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 26%. Most of the increase is due to an increase in revenue from services, less the increase in costs and in tax expenses.

Highlights of the results for the first half of 2024:

Revenue in the first half of 2024 totaled NIS 213.4 million, compared to revenue of NIS 192.9 million in the corresponding period last year, an 11% increase. The increase in revenue is due mainly to an increase in revenue from data distribution and connectivity services, as a result of the increased volume of activity and the impact of the updated index-usage fees.

Costs in the first half of 2024 totaled NIS 150.1 million, compared to costs of NIS 142.6 million in the corresponding period last year, a 5% increase. The higher costs are due mainly to the increase in payroll expenses and technological investments and in computer and communication expenses.

Net financing income in the first half of 2024 totaled NIS 3.4 million, compared to net financing income of NIS 6.1 million in the corresponding period last year, a 44% decrease. Financing income in the period increased due to interest income on the deposits. At the same time, financing expenses also increased as a result of a bank loan obtained at the end of 2023, resulting in reduced net financing income.

Net tax expense in the first half of 2024 totaled NIS 16.7 million, compared to NIS 12.2 million in the corresponding period last year, a 37% increase. The increase in the tax expense stemmed from the higher pre-tax profit. The increase in the effective tax rate is due to losses on securities in previous years for which deferred taxes were not created.

The profit in the first half of 2024 totaled NIS 50 million, compared to NIS 44.3 million in the corresponding period last year, a 13% increase. Most of the increase in profit was due to the increase in revenue, less the increase in costs and in tax expenses, as described above.

The adjusted EBITDA in the first half of 2024 totaled NIS 94.4 million, compared to NIS 79.1 million in the corresponding period last year, a 19% increase. The increase is due to an increase of NIS 12.9 million in profit before financing, eliminating share-based payment expenses and depreciation expenses in an amount of NIS 2.4 million.

The adjusted profit in the first half of 2024 totaled NIS 53.5 million, compared to NIS 46.5 million in the corresponding period last year, a 15% increase. Most of the increase is due to an increase in revenue from services, less the increase in costs and in tax expenses and the adjustment of the increase in costs with respect to share-based payments.

Click here for the link to the full financial statements for the second quarter of 2024>

Click here for the link to the financial presentation of the second quarter of 2024>

This notification does not supersede that stated in the periodic financial statements of the Company, which contain the full and accurate information.

Seasonality

The revenue of the Company from trading and clearing is affected, inter alia, by the number of trading and clearing days. In the second quarter of 2024, there were 57 trading days, compared to 58 days in the corresponding quarter last year, a 1.7% decrease. In the first six months of 2024 there were 120 trading days, compared to 122 days in the corresponding period last year, a 1.6% decrease. Presented below is information on the quarterly breakdown of trading days:

 

Year

First
quarter

Second
quarter

Third
quarter

Fourth
quarter

Total

2023

64

58

61

66

249

2024

63

57

65

58

234

 

Contact:
Orna Goren
Head of Communication and Public Relations Unit
Tel: +972 76 8160405
tase.ir@tase.co.il

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SOURCE The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Ltd.

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Internet Society Report Highlights Challenges and Recommendations for Internet Connectivity in the Middle East

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Internet Society (ISOC), a global charitable organization advocating for an open, globally connected, and secure Internet, released a comprehensive report on the state of Internet connectivity across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The report underscores Internet connectivity as a catalyst for economic growth and social development and how an increase in fixed broadband access has a direct impact on growing gross domestic product (GDP).

Key Findings:

Growth in Mobile and Fixed Broadband: Both mobile and fixed broadband connections have grown substantially from 2015 to 2021, particularly in Gulf States with advanced fiber-optic and 5G networks. However, deployment has been slower in other parts of the region, primarily due to infrastructure challenges and affordability issues.

Mobile Internet users increased from 130M to over 180M between 2016 and 2021, with Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco showing the highest growth rates. Fixed broadband users rose from 17M to 29M in the same period, with Egypt leading the way. The Arab region lags behind other regions in fiber optic deployment, with stagnation in investment since 2018.

High-Income Countries: Significant progress in broadband infrastructure, especially in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries due to 5G rollout. High-income countries improved their Internet availability from 77.34 to 79.37, surpassing global averages.Low-Middle-Income Countries: Broadband has improved modestly, but challenges persist. Despite overall progress, a significant digital divide remains between high-income and low-middle-income countries, partly due to political and economic instability in some regions, such as Tunisia and Syria.

Infrastructure Challenges: There is a heavy reliance on European Internet Exchange Points for international Internet traffic, which results in slower speeds due to additional data hops.

Emerging Technologies: The report emphasizes the role of emerging technologies such as High-Throughput Satellites (HTS) and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites in bridging the connectivity gap. These technologies are crucial for expanding access to underserved rural areas.

Impact of COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected network performance and digital transformation plans, causing delays and disruptions in connectivity improvements.

Recommendations:

Policy and Regulation: The Internet Society advocates revising regulatory frameworks to accelerate infrastructure deployment. Key recommendations include enhancing spectrum policies, removing regulatory barriers, and fostering public-private partnerships to drive investment, competition, and support for small and medium enterprises.

Spectrum Availability: North African countries have limited spectrum compared to global averages, impacting network capacity and costs.Regulatory Frameworks: Enhance regulatory frameworks to foster investment, encourage spectrum and infrastructure sharing, and support new technologies like HTS and LEO satellites.

Collaboration and Investment: Promote public-private partnerships and update national broadband plans to improve infrastructure and connectivity.

Digital Skills and Literacy: Addressing digital skills and literacy is crucial for maximizing the benefits of Internet connectivity. The report calls for more affordable, relevant, and inclusive education and training programs to build a digital workforce.

Local Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): The report stresses the importance of establishing and upgrading IXPs to enhance local Internet traffic, reduce costs, and improve service quality. Governments are encouraged to support IXPs by providing resources and facilitating network interconnections.

“The Internet has become indispensable for many people, and its role in connecting people, fostering economic opportunities, and driving innovation is undeniable. The Arab region has made big leaps in the availability and adoption of the Internet in recent years; however, adoption rates are still low. We hope that governments will use our report to learn about the improvements that can be made in infrastructure deployment, affordability of service, market structure, and regulatory frameworks,” explains Nermine El Saadany, Regional Vice President for the Middle East for the Internet Society.

About the Internet Society
Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a global charitable organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet. Through a global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a wide range of groups to promote the technologies that keep the Internet safe and secure and advocates for policies that enable universal access. The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1656167/Internet_Society.jpg 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/internet-society-report-highlights-challenges-and-recommendations-for-internet-connectivity-in-the-middle-east-302251836.html

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Representatives from 57 countries, regions and 6 international organizations, are gathering in Suzhou.

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What important topics are they discussing about? Let’s find out!

BEIJING, Sept. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — I’m Xiao Lin from National Immigration Administration. On September 9th, the first Sub-Forum on Migration Management Cooperation was successfully held. Representatives from all parties expressed their insights and appeals around the development and innovation of migration governance.

It was truly a content-rich event!

Why does the international community focus on the topic of “Migration Governance” so much?

At present, changes unseen in a century is unfolding at a faster pace. The situation in the wider world remains complex and fluid. However, peace, development, cooperation and win-win results are still an unstoppable historical trend. Migration governance is critical to economic development of individual countries, global security governance and international cultural and people-to-people exchanges. It has increasingly become a key issue in global governance.

Here are the key points:
At the forum, NIA made three commitments: implementing more open policies for the cross-border flow of people, more effective actions in the governance of transnational crimes and more extensive global cooperation in migration governance, injecting new impetus to opening up and development; At the same time, three initiatives have been put forward, [Original scene of the initiative] contributing China’s wisdom and solutions to global migration governance and further showcasing its image as an open, confident, secure, and thriving major power.

Representatives also made keynote speeches, sharing their migration governance policies, measures and experience, and providing their perspectives on regional and international migration governance.

Pooling wisdom for win-win results.

In a changing era, National Immigration Administration of China stands ready to work with all parties to promote global migration governance to a higher level and contribute more wisdom to world peace, development, prosperity and stability!

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/representatives-from-57-countries-regions-and-6-international-organizations-are-gathering-in-suzhou-302254859.html

SOURCE National Immigration Administration

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Supreme Court Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin Joins Elementary Students for Live Virtual Q&A and Chapter One Storybook Reading on Sep. 24

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The Honourable Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin, the first Indigenous person appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, will join elementary students in a live virtual Q&A on September 24, from 1:00-2:15 pm ET, following a reading of the children’s storybook, “Daanis the Judge.” This event is hosted by Chapter One, a children’s literacy charity, to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Lawyer Victoria Perrie, writer of “Daanis the Judge,” will read aloud the inspiring story, which is based on Justice O’Bonsawin’s remarkable journey. Illustrator EJ Miller-Larson will join Justice O’Bonsawin and Perrie in a moderated Q&A session with over 1900 elementary students.

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Honourable Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin, the first Indigenous person to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, will join elementary students in a live virtual Q&A following a live online reading of the original children’s storybook “Daanis the Judge,” on September 24, from 1:00-2:15 pm ET. The event will be hosted by Chapter One to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Chapter One is a children’s literacy charity that provides 1:1 high-impact reading tutoring and co-creates original storybooks with participating communities nationwide.

“I am very humbled and proud to be a part of the book, “Daanis the Judge.” My hope is that this book will inspire youth to dream big and know that anything is possible. I am evidence of that!” – Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin

Métis-Cree lawyer Victoria Perrie, who wrote “Daanis the Judge,” will lead the live reading. Students will ask questions during a moderated Q&A with Justice O’Bonsawin, Perrie, and illustrator EJ Miller-Larson, of the Fond du Lac Band and Oneida Nation.

“Daanis the Judge” was inspired by Justice O’Bonsawin’s trailblazing career. It tells the story of a young student, Daanis, who dreams of becoming a judge after learning about Justice O’Bonsawin’s achievements.

The story is part of Chapter One’s growing collection of original children’s e-storybooks, co-created with Indigenous writers, illustrators and communities. The e-storybooks celebrate Indigenous experiences and perspectives, and feature audio clips of Elders pronouncing foundational words in their communities’ first languages. All e-storybooks are provided for free through the Global Free Library.

About Chapter One

Chapter One (chapterone.org/ca) is a global nonprofit and registered Canadian charity that provides one-on-one early literacy tutoring programs to 2,300 children in eight provinces and territories across Canada. Its proven “short burst” high-impact tutoring approach—five-minute sessions, three to five times a week—is ideally suited to young children’s attention spans and aligns with the Science of Reading. In one of the largest randomized control trials conducted on early literacy instruction, researchers from Stanford University found that 7 out of 10 students receiving Chapter One high impact tutoring achieved phonics benchmarks by the end of Kindergarten, compared to 32% in the control group.

Children at risk of reading failure receive 1:1 reading support from trained, paid paraprofessional tutors through Chapter One’s online reading platform and custom software. Programs are delivered in-person and virtually in classrooms through agreements with schools and school boards, and at home on families’ smartphones, connecting struggling readers with individualized reading support—regardless of location and circumstance, even in some of the most geographically remote communities in Canada.

In addition to its tutoring programs, Chapter One collaborates with Indigenous communities to co-create children’s stories that represent the communities’ priorities and experiences and advance language revitalization efforts. The e-storybooks are provided for free online, as part of the Global Free Library.

Event details

The Live Virtual Q&A and Reading of “Daanis the Judge” with the Honourable Justice O’Bonsawin takes place on Tuesday, September 24, from 1:00-2:15 pm ET via Zoom. The event is open to elementary classes (Grades 1-6). Teachers/principals must register their classes in advance using this link.

Media Contact

Denise Orosa, Chapter One Canada, 1 4374224825, denise.orosa@chapterone.org, chapterone.org/ca

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SOURCE Chapter One Canada

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