Trading activity weakened on the Lebanese Stock Exchange this week, for the fourth week in a row. The BLOM Stock Index (BSI) lost 0.21%, to 1,142.69 points. However, the average traded volume and value went up to 107,708 shares worth $1.34M from last week’s 92,568 shares worth $1.01M. As for the market capitalization, it narrowed by $19.90M to $9.49B.
Globally, the Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Index (MSCI), the S&P AFE 40 Index and the S&P Pan Arab Composite Large-Mid-Cap Index recorded respective gains of 1.93%, 0.39%, and 0.16%, respectively, over the week.
Most Gulf Bourses saw weekly improvements, the largest being in Egypt, Muscat, and Kuwait, increasing by 1.37%, 0.72%, and 0.39%, respectively. On the other hand, other than the Beirut Stock Exchange, the bourses of Bahrain and Dubai were the worst performers, dropping by weekly 1.55% and 0.24% respectively.
Back to the Beirut Stock Exchange, the banking sector captured 82.39% of the total traded value during the week while the real estate sector grasped the remaining 17.61%. In the banking sector, the GDR shares of BLOM and Byblos listed shares lost 0.31% and 0.62% to end the week at $9.62 and $1.60, respectively. Audi GDR shares gained 1.01% to $6.
On a weekly basis, the BLOM Preferred Shares Index (BPSI) dropped a marginal 0.05% to 105.24 points. This was attributed to Byblos preferred shares 2009 decreasing by 0.04% to $100.50. Audi preferred shares class “H” gained 0.20% to $101.30.
In the real estate sector, Solidere shares classes “A” and “B” lost 0.21% and 0.60% to $10.02 and $9.85.
During the coming weeks, the Lebanese Bourse will remain affected by the security, political and economic issues. An improvement may be perceived if the listed banks published positive results for the third quarter of 2015.