Regional equity markets

Beirut SE  (One month) Current year high: 1,200.49    Current year low: 705.56 >  Review period: Closed: Feb19 – 1,099.12  Period change: 2.7% BLOM Bank and developer Solidere’s two share classes drove the index gains, with improvements of 5.9%, 4% and 5%, respectively. On the downside of index movement, banks BEMO and BLC gave up 12.2% and 9.6%. Banks BLOM and Byblos reported full-year 2009 results to have improved 16.5% and 20% from 2008. Bank of Beirut posted a 15% profit improvement. Egyptian analyst house HC tipped BLOM and Byblos as buy opportunities and saw Bank Audi as a solid hold. Amman SE  (One month) Current year high: 2,968.77    Current year low: 2,396.28 > Review period: Closed: Feb 21 – 2,446.71 Period change: -3.1%  ASE traders might be hoping to strike solid desert rock and gain footing for a rebound. On Feb 18, the index fell to 2423.80; its lowest reading