Beirut SE (1 month) Current Year High: 3,470.63 Current Year Low: 1,761.53 The weakness of global stock markets transpired on the Beirut Stock Exchange mostly as a drop in trading volume which dwindled to a 1.25 million shares trickle in the trading week that ended Sep 19. The Blom Stock Index closed the period at 1737.60 points, compared with 1,794.17 points at the end of August. Political worries are a constant factor in the Lebanese market and one perceives them almost as market fundamental. The real disruptor of trading fun was the global financial crisis although its impact on the valuations of Lebanese stocks was much smaller than elsewhere in the region. Lebanon’s central bank reaffirmed that the banking system is impacted only in minimal form by the problems of global financial institutions and Fitch Ratings reaffirmed its B minus ratings view on Lebanon as stable. Solidere, which initiated a
