The Lebanese Bourse was not able to sustain last week’s improvement, as shown by the BLOM Stock Index (BSI) which declined by 0.88% to end the week at 1,133.72 points. The average traded volume went down, but to a higher value, from 107,180 shares worth $936,561 last week to 105,198 shares worth $962,227. As for the market capitalization, it narrowed from $9.50B to $9.42B.
On the regional front, Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Index (MSCI) edged up by 0.41%, while the S&P AFE 40 Index and the S&P Pan Arab Composite Large-Mid-Cap Index recorded weekly losses of 0.47% and 0.63%, respectively.
Most Arab Bourses saw weekly downturns, the largest being in Egypt, decreasing by 3.49% during the week. This lackluster performance was partly due to security tensions. Bahrain and Amman’s Bourses followed declining weekly 1.19% and 1% respectively. In contrast, Tunisia’s Bourse, Qatar’s stock exchange and Dubai’s financial markets saw weekly gains of 1.26%, 0.28%, and 0.25%, respectively.
Back to the Beirut Stock Exchange, the banking sector captured 61.24% of the total traded value during the week while the real estate and the industrial sectors grasped the remaining 36.62% and 2.14%, respectively.
In the banking sector, BLOM GDR shares and Audi listed shares lost 0.31% and 0.34%, during the week, to $9.55 and $5.93, respectively. In contrast, Byblos listed shares gained 0.63% to close at $1.61. As for the performance of preferred shares, the BLOM Preferred Shares Index (BPSI) dropped by 0.38% to 105.66 points. The preferred shares of Audi class “G” and those of Byblos 2009 decreased 1.85% and 1.56% to end the week at $100.70 and $100.90, respectively. In contrast, Byblos preferred shares 2008 and BLOM preferred shares 2011 gained 0.20% and 0.10% to $100.50 and $10.16, respectively.
In the real estate sector, Solidere shares classes “A” and “B” shed 5.92% and 3.90%, during the week, to $9.53 and $9.61, respectively.
In the industrial sector, Holcim shares gained a weekly 3.45% to close the week at $15.
For the coming weeks, the performance of the Lebanese bourse will remain affected by the political and security developments.