Bank Hapoalim

Stock performance

History

Bank Hapoalim was founded by the Histadrut labor federation before the establishment of the State of Israel, originally to serve Jewish workers and the broader labor movement in British Mandate Palestine, and grew into one of Israel's two dominant banks alongside Bank Leumi as the country industrialized after 1948. It was privatized in stages from the 1990s onward as Israel liberalized its heavily state-directed banking sector.

Business model

Bank Hapoalim provides retail, corporate, and investment banking services across Israel, drawing on one of the country's largest branch and digital-banking networks built up over a century of operation. Its lending is closely tied to the Israeli property market and the broader technology-driven Israeli economy.

Market position

Bank Hapoalim is one of the two largest banks in Israel alongside Bank Leumi, together dominating the country's concentrated banking sector. Its scale and long history give it deep relationships across Israeli households and businesses.

Country impact

Bank Hapoalim is one of the largest financial institutions in Israel and, given its origins tied to the labor movement, has historically held particular symbolic significance in Israeli economic and social history. It remains central to Israeli consumer and business credit.