Abstract
According to the consolidated balance sheet of Lebanese banks, total deposits dropped yearly by 8.50% ($15B) to reach $162.37B in December 2019. However contrary to recent evidence, this large amount ($15B) is not entirely an outflow out of the banking system because various sub-components underlying these deposits have also changed over the period. This paper aims to study the relation between the deposits at Lebanese banks and how they are linked to changes in the total loans offered by the banking sector. Moreover, the paper traces the recent, insightful changes in lending to the “Real Estate”(RE) account, as reflected in the performance of Lebanon’s real estate sector since the eruption of protests in October 2019 and the imposition of capital controls. Therefore, the study focuses on the critical period between end-September to end-December 2019 to evaluate deposits, loans and the real estate sector mainly through the performance of Solidere shares.
For the full report, kindly follow the link: Lebanon’s Bank Deposits and Real Estate amid the Crisis