Byblos Bank 400BEIRUT: Lebanon's Byblos Bank said on Monday net profit dropped 5.9 percent last year to $169 million, reflecting an economic slowdown in a country hampered by political turmoil and feeling the effects of a 22-month revolt in neighbouring Syria.

 

The bank said in a statement that it had allocated $66.7 million in provisions for credit losses.

 

Total assets stood at $17 billion, customer deposits grew by 4.4 percent to $13.4 billion and net customer loans rose by 3 percent to $4.1 billion, the bank said.

 

Despite the loss, the bank said it had shown "high resilience facing the worldwide economic downturn as well as the political uncertainty in the region."

 

It said it maintained a conservative strategy during 2012.

 

Byblos Bank said it successfully issued in December $300 million of 10-year convertible subordinated loans bearing a yearly coupon of 6.5 percent.

Copyright Reuters, 2013

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