Economy

In February the Consumer Price Index rose by a surprise 0.2%, following nearly five months of no upward movement, and in most cases an actual decline. We expect end-year CPI of around... 2004-03-22

As part of our quarterly review of macroeconomic forecasts, we have marginally revised upwards our view of growth prospects in 2004. This is due to our slightly improved view of the... 2004-03-22

Due to better-than-expected exports, we have upwardly revised our real GDP growth forecast for FY04 to 2.9% (from 2.6%). With the labour force booming on the back of a youthful population,... 2004-03-17

We expect the economy to grow 2.9% this year as global conditions, particularly for the technology sector, improve and private demand driven growth rises on the back of improved confidence.... 2004-02-23

We are forecasting a budget deficit of just below 4% this year and based on the current budget being debated in parliament, this figure looks realistic. The government is attempting... 2004-02-23

Real GDP grew 3.1% in FY03 (July 2003-June 2003), faster than the 1.9% y-o-y expansion that we anticipated. The principle cause for this better-than-expected performance was the improvement... 2004-02-18

Banque du Liban said that foreign currency reserves rose to US$12.56bn in mid-February, from US$12.25bn at the end of January. We expect reserves to remain high for most of 2004 as... 2004-02-18

Our growth forecast for 2004 is currently more optimistic than that of the consensus. This view is predicated on the resilience of the export sector in the face of a strong currency... 2004-02-18

Following a year of weak exports and poor inward foreign investment in 2002, the balance of payments position began to improve in 2003. BMI View: Looking ahead, we expect to see a... 2004-02-17

The consensus view of economic prospects in 2004 is buoyant. BMI View: Though this reflects 2003's impressive performance, and the government's commitment to reform, the recent sensitivity... 2004-02-13