The BLOM Stock Index (BSI) lost 1.26% in the week ending May 31 to stand at 858.31 points. Accordingly, the market capitalization slipped from last week’s $8.47B to $8.37B this week. Meanwhile, the average traded volume and value of listed shares fell from 172,150 shares worth $765,260 last week to 35,274 shares worth $242,312 this week.
In comparison, the regional indices registered the weekly upturns, such that the S&P Pan Arab Composite Large Mid Cap, the S&P AFE 40, and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index rising by 1.42%, 2.74% and 1.03% this week.
In the Arab World, the stock markets of Egypt and Morocco slipped by 1.45% and 0.50%, respectively. Meanwhile, the bourses of Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and KSA witnessed weekly increases of 3.43%, 2.82%, and 1.22%, respectively.
On the Beirut Stock Exchange (BSE), the banking sector accounted for 61.39% of the total traded value, while the real estate and industrial sectors grasped the remaining shares of 37.86% and 0.76%, respectively.
In details, Bank Audi’s GDR shares rose by a weekly 4.48% to stand at $4.20. Meanwhile, Bank Audi and Byblos listed shares decreased by a weekly 6.98% and 2.34% to reach $4.00 and $1.25, respectively. BEMO Listed shares also witnessed a weekly decline of 3.23% to $1.50.
As for the BLOM Preferred shares Index (BPSI), it slid by 0.18% to 84.86 points, owing it to the weekly declines of 1.43% and 3.83% recorded in the prices of Byblos Preferred 2008 shares and BEMO Preferred 2013 shares, to stand at $69 and $93, respectively.
On the London Stock Exchange, BLOM GDR shares added a weekly 1.30% to $7.80 while Audi GDR shares retreated by a weekly 6.98% to $4.00.
In the real estate sector, both Solidere A and B lost a weekly 1.73% and 5.05% to $5.11 and $5.08, respectively.
As for the industrial sector, HOLCIM shares added a weekly 2.07% to stand at $14.30 while Ciments Blancs shares also gained a weekly 3.45% to $2.70.
The endorsement of the budget presented to parliament early this week will be a main indicator of the trading activity on the Beirut Stock exchange in the coming weeks.