7 Fakten über die Börse, mit denen Du Deinen Freunden imponierst

Nummer Eins: Die New Yorker Börse ist die grösste der Welt, ihre Marktkapazität gleicht der, der vier Nächstgrössten zusammengefasst. Das hat nicht imponiert? Naja, ist wohl auch hinlänglich bekannt und warum sollte es Deine Freunde hinreissen?

 Also, hier etwas anderes, vielleicht stösst das auf mehr Begeisterung: Kein Unternehmen in ausländischem Besitz kann an der chinesischen Börse Handel betreiben. Obwohl die Regierung schon in 2011 kundgegeben hatte, dass sie im Grundsatz bereit sei die Börse auch für fremde Firmen zu öffnen, ist bis heute noch keine solche zugelassen worden. Bis auf eine Ausnahme. Das Unternehmen WLCSP, das Teil der The Infinity Group ist und einen fremdländischen Mitinhaber hat, hat kürzlich die chinesische Mauer durchbrochen. Dieser Fremde is Israeli.

 Wo investieren?

 
Das wirklich Interessante daran ist, dass diese Tatsache die Israelische Geschäftsmentalität und das Unternehmertum charakterisiert. Sie sind immer vorne dabei und pflastern oft den Weg für Fortschritt und Veränderung. Israelische Start-ups sind einfach unaufhaltsam. Wenn Du also auf hohe Rendite aus bist, brauchst Du nur den nächsten Renner in der israelischen Start-up Szene zu finden, der eine internationale Börse erobert wird. Dann wärst Du der Renner bei Deinen Freunden.

 Aber Prahlen bei Seite. Lass’ uns israelische Unternehmen an internationalen Börsenmärkten und deren Zahlen etwas ernsthafter betrachten.

 

1.     73 Israelische Firmen handeln derzeit an NASDAQ. Damit ist Israel, nach China mit fast 120 Firmen das meist vertretene Land. Wenn man die Grösse des Landes bedenkt, ist das erstaunlich und sagt einiges über des Landes Wirtschaft aus.

2.     Im Jahr 2013 sind vier israelische Unternehmen an den NASDAQ gegangen, mit einem durchschnittlichen Wertanstieg von 85%.

3.     In 2014 waren es bis September schon sechs Firmen.

4.     Eine der bekanntesten darunter war Mobileye (MBLY) am 21. Juli. Trotz der komplizierten Sicherheitslage in Israel wärend dieser Zeit, sind die Aktienwerte bis Anfang September um 70% gestiegen – weltweit der grösste Anstieg.

5.     Ähnlicher Erfolg konnte im selben Zeitraum von der Firma Caesarstone (CSTE) verzeichnet werden. Ihre Aktien stiegen im August um 20% und können sich mit der zweitbesten Leistung auf dem Bloomberg Israel-US Equity Index rühmen.

6.     Die beeindruckendste Erstemission war jedoch die von ReWalk (RWLK) Ende August. Der Aktienwert schoss um erstaunliche 220% allein in der erten Woche nach oben.

7.     NASDAQ ist keinesfalls der einzige Aktienmarkt ausserhalb Israels an dem israelische Firmen ihre Aktien anbieten. Allein am LSE (London Stock Exchange) gab es dieses Jahr schon fünf Erstemissionen von israelischen Unternehmen. Die jüngste davon von Matomy Media Group im Juli.

Mit von der Partie sein

Wenn Du nicht weisst, wo Du investieren sollst, lass Dir von diesen Erfolgsgeschichten die Richtung weisen. Mit der vielversprechenden Wirtschaft dieses Landes, die immer wieder neue nützliche und fantastische Technologien in Bereichen wie Gesundheit, Kommunikation, Sicherheit usw. hervorbringt kann man kaum falsch liegen. Du kannst daran teilhaben, entweder direkt am lokalen Aktienmarkt, an der Amerikanischen Börse oder anderswo.

Um Deine Investition so effektiv wie möglich zu machen, solltest Du auf jeden Fall in Erwägung ziehen es in Israel selbst zu tun. Du kannst ein Anlagekonto direkt an einer Israelischen Bank eröffnen oder es durch einen lokalen Investmentbroker verwalten lassen. Mit diesem kannst Du zu jeder Zeit in verschiedenen Sprachen on-line oder per Telefon kommunizieren, was die Sache so bequem macht, als seie er in Deiner Nachbarschaft.

 

Und wie ist das mit dem Risiko?

 

Die meisten Israelischen Unternehmen bieten ihre Aktien zuerst an der einheimischen Börse in Tel Aviv an, bevor sie sich in die Welt der Wall Street Wölfe wagen. Das gibt Dir die Möglichkeit sie früh zu erfassen, wenn die Aktienpreise noch niedrig sind. Es ist allerdings auch mit hohem Risiko verbunden und daher nicht Jedermans Sache.

 

Um nicht willkürlich auf ein beliebiges Pferd zu setzen, kannst Du in einen ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) investieren, der eine Auswahl von ausschliesslich Israelischen Aktien beinhaltet. Auch hier besteht die Möglichkeit es direkt in Israel zu tun, was Dir hohe Management Gebühren erspart und mit grosser Wahrscheinlichkeit auch Steuervorteile bietet (dies sollte vorher mit dem jeweiligen Broker in Erfahrung gebracht werden).

Diejenigen unter Euch, die das Risiko weiter senken wollen können sich der Hälfte der US Staaten anschliessen und in Regierungs Bonds anlegen. Diese sind stabil und bieten einen stätigen Einkommensfluss. Wer sie direkt in Israel erwirbt bekommt darauf einen höheren Zinssatz.

 

7 Things About the Stock Market That Will Impress Your Friends

Here’s the first: The New York stock exchange is the largest in the world, its market capacity is as big as that of the next four runners-up combined together.

That didn’t impress anybody? Right, it’s probably well known and why should your friends care, anyway.

So here’s another interesting fact, maybe this will get their attention: Foreign owned companies are basically banned from trading on the Chinese stock market. Even though authorities had announced already in 2011 that they are basically ready to open the stock exchange to foreign companies, it hasn’t actually happened. This month one firm finally managed to break through the Chinese wall: WLCSP, Part of The Infinity Group has a foreign co-owner and is based on foreign technology. The non-Chinese part of it is Israeli.

Where to Invest

What’s really impressive though, is that this characterizes Israeli companies and entrepreneurship. They are always where it’s happening and often pave the way. There is no stopping Israeli Start-ups. If you are looking for a high return investment, all you have to do is pinpoint the next Israeli company to make it big on a foreign stock market. Now, that would really impress your friends.

But let’s get a little more serious and take a look at Israeli companies and some impressive numbers and figure out how this can be relevant for you (and your friends).

1.     There are 73 Israeli companies already trading on NASDAQ today. This number is topped only by China with close to 120 companies. Considering the size of the country that says something about Israeli economy.

2.     Four Israeli companies went public in 2013 on NASDAQ with an average increase of 85%.

3.     In 2014 there have been six Initial Public Offerings by Israeli companies on NASDAQ till early September.

4.     One of the companies to go public recently was Mobileye (MBLY), on July 31^st. Despite the security crises in the Middle East at the time, it has gone up by more than 70% in little more than a month. This was the biggest rally globally during this time.

5.     A similar success could be reported during the same period by Caesarstone (CSTE). Their stocks climbed 20% in August, making it the 2^nd best performance on the Bloomberg Israel-U.S. Equity Index. Since 2012 the company tripled its growth.

6.     The most striking, though is the success of the most recent IPO by ReWalk (RWLK) only two weeks ago. The price surged a stunning 220% within its first week at NASDAQ.

7.     NASDAQ is not the only stock exchange market outside of Israel, where Israeli companies trade their shares. At the LSE (London Stock Exchange) there have been five IPOs by Israeli companies this year, compared to only one last year. The most recent was Matomy Media Group in July.

Be Part of the Party

If you don’t know where to invest, these success stories give you a direction to look in. Here is an economy which promises to keep bringing forth amazing technology developments in healthcare, communication, security and other fields. You can be part of this on your local stock market in the US or elsewhere.

However, to make your investment even more effective consider taking it directly to Israel. You can open an Israeli investment account directly at a bank or with an Israeli broker. They can be managed in English via phone or on-line, which makes things as comfortable as if it was in your hometown. If you are in the US, your IRA (Investment Retirement Account) can be used to open a foreign brokerage account. This is a further advantage, because it will keep tax burden on capital gains low.

How to Choose

Most companies initially offer their shares at the Tel Aviv stock exchange, before they are ready to face the world of Wall Street wolves. That gives you a chance to catch them while they are still small and stock prices are low. It also involves, however, a high risk and is not for everyone.

Rather than betting on random horses, you can choose an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) that invests exclusively in Israeli stocks. Again, you may want to do so directly in Israel, in order to save high management fees charged in the US and gain their full advantage.

For those who want to further lower the risk, you can join 50% of the U.S. states and invest in Israel Government Bonds. These are stable and provide a steady stream of income. And if you purchase directly in Israel you will benefit from a higher interest rate.

Who is Doing Business in Jerusalem?

 

Doing business probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Jerusalem. On the contrary, unless you are a travel agent or own a souvenir shop, doing business and Jerusalem are not likely to appear in the same sentence.

Like most, you probably associate Jerusalem with sacredness and history. The image of an ancient city of gold, withstanding endless wars and being home to the largest religious faiths arises in your mind. Everybody in the world has heard of this remarkable city, millions of tourists visit each year, for many Jerusalem even implies salvation.

 

But Jerusalem has a few surprises for you in store. Some were revealed at a conference titled “Doing Business in Jerusalem” that was held this August by the JBNF - Jerusalem Business Networking Forum - at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.

 

Are these the business people?

 

The conference was part of ‘The Event’, a large Expo for newcomers to Israel. The premises looked more like a colorful marketplace with lots of booths and entire families roaming around curiously. ‘Entire families’ in Jerusalem means an average of 4 children, at least one stroller and sometimes grandparents included as well. The primary languages spoken were English, French and Russian. Hebrew speakers were usually struggling with their foreign accents.

Having lived in Israel for over 30 years I felt somewhat misplaced till I reached the large auditorium in which the JBNF conference was held.

 

 

3000 Years of Innovation

 

The first thing that impressed me was the number of speakers and panelists that were scheduled to appear. The second was their variety. 7 hours were packed with young entrepreneurs, motivated investors, high-tech veterans, start-up gurus, government reps, bankers, insurance people, non-profits and a mindful audience.

 

And all Jerusalemites. Some newcomers, some well-settled and some native, but all with the same desire to boost business in Jerusalem.

I learned that 10% of all start-up activity in Israel is located in Jerusalem and over 250 companies were “born” in Jerusalem. Among them are familiar names you may have heard, such as Mobileye, Teva, BrightSource Energy, Ophir Optronics, and ViewBix. Some of the most successful high-tech companies have their R&D centers right here in the holy city of gold and innovation: Intel, IBM, Siemens, RadWare, Ness, NDS(Cisco). If you are a Jerusalemite yourself, this is not such a big deal. However the extend to which this activity is encouraged by the authorities and boosted by private investors is remarkable. The variety of opportunities that allow people to pursue their ideas and give their support is inspiring.

 

One way to support and drive innovation to industry is by funding. The municipality has an entire department dealing with business development and promotion. Most funding, however comes from private venture groups who literally seek out the next big thing in Jerusalem. One of the pioneers in explicitly driving Jerusalem’s start-up scene to success is the JVP – Jerusalem Venture Partners, founded by today’s MK Erel Margelit in 1993. Not only that, in recognizing the hidden potential under the cities burden of an image with tremendous religious overweight the JVP fosters modern cultural activities and other initiatives that contribute to the modern quality of Jerusalem. The JVP's premises house a number of start-up companies as well as the popular music-club Zappa staging musicians, comedians and other artists. 

 

Incubators for Start-Ups and Playgrounds for Innovators

 

A similar venture is Terra. The fund focuses on cleantech start-up ideas. These are taken straight from the drawing board, carefully chosen by experts and then cultivated in the ventures ‘technology incubator’. The Terralab, just like JVP provides space, equipment and guidance for the selected entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into technologies and products. Among the mind-blowing ideas they are currently pursuing are a company developing an app to help you find parking space quickly in order to reduce air-pollution in crowded cities and another company developing a bracelet for your elderly parents, which will transfer vital information about their health and routine to you if you are living far and/or relevant care giving facilities near by.

 

Fascinating to me are the various hubs offering space and opportunity for starting entrepreneurs to come together and ‘play’. Some of these hubs are simply co-working spaces - office space made available for your first start-up activity, also enabling you to network with likeminded innovators. Some of them, like SifTech, Presentense and Jerusalem StartupHub offer training, organize meetings for interest groups or computer geek activities and other workshops. Pico also invites local artists to display heir work. And then there are those who go even a step further and actually offer machinery and hands-on opportunity for you to try and materialize your ideas. JerusaLab is one such promising playground, where you can build the first prototype of your newly invented product.

 

It feels like these hubs are springing up out of nowhere, conquering some of the run-down industrial areas of the city. These young people spoke with such enthusiasm, that I felt like hopping over immediately to check out each one of these places. Maybe I would be inspired and find my own innovative opportunity or I would simply be amazed by the exciting ideas and people I would meet in Jerusalem’s start-up hubs.

 

Making it to the Top

 

You can find information on all of the companies, accelerators, investors and hubs with MadeinJLEM, an organization, whose aim it is to place the city at the top when it comes to entrepreneurship.

 

In the highlight of the JBNF conference, the top 5 Jerusalem start-ups in 2014 received a special entrepreneurship award presented by Deputy Mayer Ofer Berkovitch. Each company is active in a different branch and each had their own very exciting innovation and concept.

Brainsway Ltd. – Advanced, non-invasive technology solutions for the treatment of brain disorders.

Revelator Ltd. – Provides management and monetization solutions for digital content for the music industry.

Freightos – Creating the world’s first automated online freight network.

Glide – The world’s first and only instant video messenger.

Abe’s Market – The online marketplace for great natural products, connects buyers seeking amazing natural products with the people who make them.

There are already a lot of people doing business in Jerusalem and there will be a lot more in the near future. The next time you read about Jerusalem it may just be about technology and high-tech and promising profitable business.