Wed: Tel Aviv 25 up 2.1% in October.

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) rose today. The Tel Aviv 25 Index rose 0.42% to 1,214.22 points, the Tel Aviv 100 Index rose 0.33% to 1,076.41 points, and the BlueTech 50 Index rose 0.87% to 326.44 points. Turnover was NIS 1.14 billion.

The TASE rose today, despite a mixed session in European markets and at the opening on Wall Street. The Tel Aviv 25 Index rose 2.1% in October and 11.8% since the beginning of the year.

In the bond market, both long-term Shahar unlinked government bonds were unchanged, and long-term Galil CPI-linked bonds rose by up to 0.2%. The corporate bond benchmark Tel-Bond 20 Index rose 0.22%.

In the foreign currency market, the Bank of Israel set the shekel-dollar representative exchange rate at NIS 3.878/$, down 0.44% on yesterday's rate, and set the shekel-euro representative exchange rate at NIS 5.042/�, down 0.10%.

In the stock market, Israel Corporation (TASE: ILCO) rose 5.6% and subsidiary Israel Chemicals Ltd. (TASE: ICL) rose 5.2%, on the day's biggest turnover of NIS 210.6 million, after confirming reports that Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (NYSE; TSX: POT) wants to take over Israel Chemicals.

NICE Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: NICE; TASE: NICE) rose 7.1% for the biggest gain among Tel Aviv 25 shares, after publishing strong financials for the third quarter and predicting growth for the fourth quarter.

Banks were split today, with Bank Leumi (TASE: LUMI) up 1.1% and Bank Hapoalim (TASE: POLI) down 1.3%.

Delek Group Ltd. (TASE: DLEKG) fell 1.9%, and its energy exploration units Delek Drilling LP (TASE: DEDR.L) fell 1.4% and Avner Oil and Gas LP (TASE: AVNR.L) fell 2.2%, for the biggest loss among Tel Aviv 25 shares, after failing to win an offshore exploration license in Cyprus.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA; TASE: TEVA) fell 0.6% ahead of the publication of its third quarter financials tomorrow. Perrigo Company (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) fell 2.1%.

Elsewhere in the market, Sarah and Myra licensees split, with Israel Land Development Company Energy Ltd. (TASE: IE) rising another 17.1%, but Modiin Energy LP (TASE:MDIN.L) falling 7.4%.

Small-cap NR Spuntech Industries (TASE: SPNTC) rose 3.45, after a customer extended a contract through 2015, for a total of $21 million

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 31, 2012

Wed: Tel Aviv 25 up 2.1% in October.

Talks of a takeover by Potash Corp. boosted Israel Chemicals and its parent company Israel Corp.