Home » LEBANON BRIEF » Issue March 2019
According to the Income Statement of Bank Audi’s Egyptian subsidiary, net profit for 2018 gained an annual 24.15% to $73.13M. The Increase in profits came on the back of the increase in bank’s operations ... read more
The research published by Moody’s investors’ service on Thursday March 21, 2019 maintained a stable outlook for Lebanese banks on expectations of improved economic growth, and higher deposit inflows in the ... read more
Cement deliveries were slashed by an annual 20.91% in the first month of 2019, to stand at 217,379 tons compared to 274,856 tons in the beginning of 2018. In fact, this can be explained by the decrease in ... read more
Figures released by the Ministry of Finance show that transfers to EDL witnessed a significant yearly increase of 41.44% to reach $ 1.63B by November 2018. In details “Payments to fuel and oil gas ... read more
According to Ernst & Young Middle East Hotel benchmark survey, the occupancy rate in Lebanon’s 4- and 5-star hotels reached 59.8% in January 2019, up from 49.1% in January 2018. Among the MENA ... read more
According to the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS), consumer prices rose on average by an annual 3.16% in the first two months of 2019. The rise is attributed to increases in prices across all ... read more
Figures released by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (LRC) show that the number of real estate (RE) transactions, which may include one or more realties, registered an annual decrease ... read more
Figures released by the Ministry of Finance show that Lebanon’s gross public debt reached $85.32B during the first month of 2019, up from $80.39B in January 2019. On an annual basis, gross public debt ... read more
Figures released by Kafalat show that the number of issued loan guarantees stood at 19 by February 2019, compared to 75 issued in the same period last year. The overall value of the guarantees also ... read more
Figures released by the Port of Beirut (PoB) show that the Port’s revenues fell by 14.96% year-on-year (y-o-y) to stand at $33.89M by february 2019, down from $39.85M by feb 2018. In details and over the ... read more
Lebanon’s trade deficit for the first month of 2019 stood at $1.17B, narrowing from the $1.42B registered in the same month last year. Total imports declined by 17.63% year-on-year (y-o-y) to $1.40B and ... read more
According to the Association of Banks (ABL), the total value of cleared checks retreated by a yearly 11.98% to stand at $9.76B by February 2019. Similarly, the total number of checks over the same period ... read more
According to the Association of Lebanese Car Importers, the total number of newly registered commercial and passenger cars fell by 21.90% year- on- year (y-o-y) to 3,966 cars by February 2019. In details, ... read more
RAMCO’s March. 2019 study on the “office market segment” in Beirut revealed that 24 office projects are currently under construction in Municipal Beirut, compared to 28 projects in 2018. Similarly, the ... read more
According to the latest report published by Ernst & Young, Beirut’s hotel occupancy rate rose by 1.4 percentage points from 63.7% in 2017 to 65.1% in 2018. The average room rate (ARR) of Beirut’s 4 and ... read more
January 2019 witnessed the highest monthly BOP deficit of $1380M since 1993, only July 2006 (launch of Israeli war on Lebanon) came close to it with a deficit of $1188M. The political tensions ahead of the ... read more
According to Lebanon’s consolidated commercial banks’ balance sheet, total assets grew by 11.81% year-on-year (y-o-y), to stand at $248.88B by January 2019. In details, Currency and deposits with BDL ... read more
The Central Bank’s (BDL’s) balance sheet posted an 18.81% y-o-y (year on year) increase in its total assets, to $145.29B by February 2019. BDL’s foreign assets (grasping 26.76% of total assets) fell by ... read more
Lebanese Forex Market The Lebanese Pound (LP) steadied this week within the range of $/LP 1,514 – 1,514.5 against the dollar, with a mid-price of $/LP 1,514.25. The peg continues to be supported by ... read more
In the week ending March 14th 2019, Broad Money (M3) rose by a weekly LBP 245B ($162.52M) to stand at LBP 210,495B ($139.63B), rising 0.11% year-on-year (y-o-y) and declining 0.77% since the start of the ... read more
The BLOM Bond Index (BBI) ended the week at 89.08 points, declining weekly by 2.55%. In fact, the weighted yield rose by 0.70% as political tensions escalated this week and investors are still waiting ... read more
The BLOM Stock Index (BSI) registered a slight improvement of 1.32% to stand at 972.70 points, by the week ending March 29. As such, the market capitalization rose from last week’s $9.36B to $9.48B, this ... read more
The BLOM Stock Index (BSI) recorded a slight improvement of 0.58% to stand at 959.99 points, by the week ending March 22 2019. Also, the market capitalization rose from last week’s $9.31B to $9.36B this ... read more
The Lebanese Pound (LP) steadied this week within the range of $/LP 1,514 – 1,514.5 against the dollar, with a mid-price of $/LP 1,514.25. Lebanese Forex Market The peg continues to be supported by ... read more
The BLOM Bond Index (BBI) rose by a weekly 1.87%, ending this week at 91.41 points.Also, the JP Morgan Emerging Markets’ Bond Index (EMBI) increased by a marginal 1.03% to end the week at 820.76 points. As ... read more
In the week ending March 7th 2019, Broad Money (M3) declined by a weekly LBP 256B ($170M) to stand at LBP 210,250B ($139.47B), rising 0.05% year-on-year (y-o-y) and declining 0.89% since the start of the ... read more
The BLOM Stock Index (BSI) fell by a weekly 1.97% to stand at 954.46 points, by the week ending March 15 2019. Also, the market capitalization declined from last week’s $9.49B to $9.31B to this week. In ... read more
Lebanese Forex Market The Lebanese Pound (LP) steadied this week within the range of $/LP 1,514 – 1,514.5 against the dollar, with a mid-price of $/LP 1,514.25. The peg continues to be supported by ... read more
The BLOM Bond Index (BBI) ended the week at 89.73 points, declining weekly by 1.12% while the JP Morgan Emerging Markets’ Bond Index (EMBI) increased by a marginal 0.71% to end the week at 812.39 points. ... read more
In the week ending February 28th 2019, Broad Money (M3) rose by a weekly LBP 1,356B ($900M) to stand at LBP 210,505B ($139.64B), rising 0.22% year-on-year (y-o-y) and declining 0.77% since the start of the ... read more
The BLOM Stock Index (BSI) gained 3.21% to stand at 973.65 points, by the week ending March 08 2019, while the market capitalization rose from last week’s $9.19B to $9.49B to this week.In details , an ... read more
Lebanese Forex Market The Lebanese Pound (LP) steadied this week within the range of $/LP 1,514 – 1,514.5 against the dollar, with a mid-price of $/LP 1,514.25. The peg continues to be supported by ... read more
In the week ending February 21st 2019, Broad Money (M3) fell by a weekly LBP 7B ($5M) to stand at LBP 209,149B ($138.74B), declining 0.30% year-on-year (y-o-y) and 1.41% since the start of the year. In ... read more
The BLOM Bond Index (BBI) ended the week at 90.75 points, declining weekly by 2.81% and the JP Morgan Emerging Markets’ Bond Index (EMBI) also decreasef by a marginal 0.38% to end the week at 806.66 ... read more
The BLOM Lebanon Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased from 46.5 in January 2019 to 46.9 in February as output and new orders declined at a slower pace, the slowest in a year. On January 31st the ... read more
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of the Daily Star Newspaper on the 29th of March 2019. The slump in the Lebanese economy is no surprise. Real GDP growth is estimated to have ... read more
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is considered as one of the important contributors of economic growth and development especially for developing countries.In recent years, FDI in Lebanon started to slow ... read more
Abstract This study delineates the landscape of the wine industry in Lebanon in figures but also in players, as it introduces the wine trade and production figures and highlights the major market players, ... read more
The ripples of the Lebanese economic slowdown vary from sector to sector. Tourism was hit by the absence of hefty Gulf spenders but was able to adapt to the new segment of European tourists by offering ... read more