The Israel Stock Price, News & Analysis

Israel Corporation Ltd. (traded over-the-counter as IRLCF and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker ILCO) is a public investment and holding company. According to the company’s own descriptions in its reports, Israel Corporation owns and invests in what it describes as high quality companies with established managements and defined go-to markets. The company’s financial results are mainly affected by the performance of its held companies, reflecting its role as a holding company rather than an operating industrial business.

Israel Corporation is repeatedly described in its public releases as a reputable public investment company. It is included in the TA-35 Index on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, which indicates that its shares form part of a major equity index in the Israeli market. The company reports under the symbol ILCO on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and provides English convenience translations of its Hebrew financial statements in its press releases.

Business model and core holdings

Israel Corporation presents itself as a holding company whose results are driven by its core investments. In multiple quarterly and annual result announcements, the company notes that its financial results are mainly affected by the results of its held companies. These announcements also provide breakdowns of the company’s share in the profits of its core holdings and the impact of headquarter-level financing, general and administrative expenses, and tax expenses.

The company identifies its core holdings as stakes in ICL Group, AKVA Group and, in earlier periods, Bazan Group. In its 2022 and 2021 communications, Israel Corporation reports that its core holdings include a stake of approximately 44% in ICL Group (listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol ICL) and approximately 18% in AKVA Group (listed on the Oslo Børs under the symbol AKVA). In earlier releases, the company also reports stakes in Bazan Group, listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol ORL, with the percentage stake changing over time as shares were sold.

Israel Corporation’s assets tables in its releases show that a significant portion of its total assets is represented by its holdings in ICL shares, along with positions in AKVA Group and, in certain periods, Bazan Group. The company also reports other assets and net cash or net debt at the headquarters level, providing a view of its consolidated asset base and leverage.

Investment strategy and sector focus

In its public communications, Israel Corporation describes an updated strategy first announced in November 2019. Under this strategy, the company plans to expand its portfolio through new investments over a period of several years. It states that it intends to focus mainly on the food (including technology), agriculture (including technology), healthcare and industry 4.0 sectors. In earlier releases, the company mentions a planned total investment amount for this expansion, while later releases refer more generally to portfolio expansion through new investments.

Israel Corporation explains that it aims to generate returns on its investments through active participation on the boards of its held companies and through the use of its operational and managerial expertise. This indicates an approach in which the company seeks to influence and support its portfolio companies via governance and experience, rather than acting as a passive financial investor.

Headquarters-level financing and liquidity

Across multiple quarterly and annual reports, Israel Corporation provides details on debt balances and liquidity at the headquarters level. It discloses total financial liabilities, investments in liquid assets (including pledged deposits), and net debt or net cash figures. The company also notes the impact of derivative transactions and, in certain periods, the fair value of call options related to Bazan shares on the economic value of its financial liabilities.

These disclosures are accompanied by tables summarizing IC Total Assets, Net or ILCO Total Assets, Net, which list the market value or cost of major holdings such as ICL, Bazan and AKVA Group, along with other assets and net debt or net cash. This structure highlights how Israel Corporation’s balance sheet is shaped by its equity stakes and financing position.

Dividend policy and capital actions

In its 2022 results communication, Israel Corporation reports that its Board of Directors approved the adoption of a dividend policy. The policy describes how the company intends to calculate dividends based on net dividend cash flows received from its held companies, subject to Board approval. The company also reports decisions to distribute dividends and notes specific dividend distributions in connection with asset sales.

In addition, Israel Corporation has reported various capital actions related to its holdings, such as sales of portions of its stakes in Bazan Group and ICL Group, the granting and exercise of call options on Bazan shares, and investments in AKVA Group and Nordic Aqua Partners A/S. These actions are described in its press releases with details on transaction amounts, percentages of shareholdings, and the resulting stakes in the respective companies.

Geographic and listing context

Israel Corporation’s press releases are issued from Tel Aviv, Israel, and the company is publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker ILCO. It is included in the TA-35 Index, which is referenced in multiple releases. The company also notes that further information can be found in its publicly available filings on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange website and that its English-language press releases are convenience translations of Hebrew financial statements.

Relationship to ICL and sector classification

While the industry classification provided for IRLCF refers to nitrogenous fertilizer manufacturing, the company’s own descriptions consistently characterize Israel Corporation as a public investment and holding company. Its largest reported holding is a significant stake in ICL Group, which is itself listed on major exchanges. The share of ICL profit attributed to Israel Corporation is a prominent component of its reported financial results in multiple periods.

Because Israel Corporation’s performance is mainly affected by the results of its held companies, investors analyzing IRLCF often consider the underlying sectors of its core holdings, including companies active in areas such as food-related businesses, agriculture-related activities, and industrial and technology-oriented operations, as indicated by the company’s stated strategic focus.

Reporting and transparency

Israel Corporation regularly publishes quarterly and annual results, including selected financial figures, details of net profit or loss from continuing and discontinued operations, and explanations of major changes in its asset base and debt position. The company emphasizes that its English press releases are summaries based on original Hebrew financial statements, and that the binding version is the original Hebrew documentation. It directs readers to its detailed financial reports and to its publicly available filings on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange information platform.

FAQs about Israel Corporation Ltd. (IRLCF)

• What is Israel Corporation Ltd. (IRLCF)?
  Israel Corporation Ltd. is a public investment and holding company. In its own descriptions, it states that it owns and invests in high quality companies with established managements and go-to markets, and that its financial results are mainly affected by the results of its held companies.
• How does Israel Corporation generate its financial results?
  Israel Corporation explains that, as a holding company, its financial results are mainly affected by the results of its held companies. Its reported net profit includes its share in the profits of core holdings such as ICL Group, as well as amortization of excess cost, financing, general and administrative expenses, and tax expenses at the headquarters level.
• What are Israel Corporation’s core holdings?
  In its public releases, Israel Corporation identifies its core holdings as stakes in ICL Group, AKVA Group and, in earlier periods, Bazan Group. It reports approximate percentage stakes in these companies and shows their market value or cost in tables summarizing its total assets.
• What investment strategy does Israel Corporation describe?
  Israel Corporation reports that in November 2019 it announced an updated strategy to expand its portfolio through new investments over several years. It states that it plans to focus mainly on the food (including technology), agriculture (including technology), healthcare and industry 4.0 sectors.
• How does Israel Corporation say it creates value in its holdings?
  The company states that it strives to generate return on its investment through active board participations and its operational and managerial expertise. This indicates that it seeks to influence its portfolio companies via governance roles and experience.
• Where are Israel Corporation’s shares listed?
  Israel Corporation’s shares are publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker ILCO, and the company notes that it is included in the TA-35 Index. The IRLCF symbol represents trading in Israel Corporation’s shares in the over-the-counter market.
• What sectors does Israel Corporation focus on for new investments?
  According to its strategy disclosures, Israel Corporation plans to focus mainly on sectors related to food (including technology), agriculture (including technology), healthcare and industry 4.0 when expanding its portfolio through new investments.
• Where can investors find more detailed information on Israel Corporation?
  In its press releases, Israel Corporation directs readers to its publicly available filings on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange information platform and to its detailed financial reports. It also notes that its English press releases are convenience translations of Hebrew financial statements, with the Hebrew versions being binding.