Investment guide MENA stock tips

After a turbulent 2011, investors hoping for relief in 2012 are likely to be disappointed, with little prospect of a solution in Europe, an election year in the United States and a prolonged lack of stability in the Arab world. This month Executive asks Najib Semaan, assistant general manager and head of global markets at Bank of Beirut (BOB), and Yves Rahme, head of equities unit at Byblos Bank, for insights on where to invest in these challenging times. Najib Semaan Bullish or bearish? Semaan is cautious on prospects for global markets due mainly to the European sovereign debt crisis, but he does believe that “the end of the tunnel is near”. He expects the markets to reach their bottom toward the end of the first or second quarter of 2012. Will politics drive the markets in 2012? The Middle East and North Africa region will be affected by the