Beirut SE: Blom (1 month) Current Year High: 1,934.21 Current Year Low: 1,177.03 In beleaguered Beirut, the Blom Shares Index managed to rise to 1208.57 points on the last Friday of January, an improvement of some 30 points since the start of the year which nonetheless is an achievement, given the circumstances of continued demonstrations in the Lebanese capital and a one-day violent “general strike” which saw the BSE closed. After Lebanon was promised $7.6 billion in new international funds on Jan. 25 but simultaneously suffered bloody street fighting, Lebanese stocks moved two directions the next day—major banks went down while Solidere nudged up. Authorities in Ajman, UAE, announced that Solidere will be involved in a new urban development project there. Bank Audi said it expanded the number of its listed GDRs by a small percentage. Byblos Bank announced a new private equity fund in collaboration with the European Investment
