“I trust Lebanon and its beloved people to God Almighty.” While Rafik Hariri’s resignation flourish may have had more than its share of melodrama, one has to question whether the…
Economics & Policy
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By the time of this publication, and barring any confusion á la Florida, or a major 9/11-type ‘event,’ the new president of the US will be known. But while in…
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There has been much speculation surrounding the implications of the presidential extension, especially given the reservations articulated by international leaders, the UN, and prominent members of the Arab League, including…
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Fitch, the powerful international rating agency, warned in July that Lebanon risked being downgraded if the government failed to act on its much promised monetary reforms and privatization, the two…
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In November 2003, EXECUTIVE predicted that the revival in stocks would prove ephemeral (‘Happy Days?’, November 2003), stressing that technical and even fundamental factors would prevent a genuine new bull…
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In a highly publicized speech at the end of July 2004, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir called on the government to review the minimum wage in Lebanon (which currently…
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The banking sector in Lebanon continued to witness sustained growth throughout the first half of 2004, continuing the trend adopted in 2003, which followed a short lull. Total banking sector…
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I taught you value of information and how to get it,” yelled Gordon Gecco (Michael Douglas) to Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) in the iconic 1980s movie Wall Street. Those few…
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As the world markets, mature and emerging, went through the turbulent transition from low rates by the Federal Reserve to “a measured and consistent rise,” most bond markets suffered. In…
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Back in the mid 1990s, Lebanon showed a promising entry into the world of capital markets, which coincided with the significant boom of emerging markets during that period. The first…