By Sherif Salem. As has often been the case in Iraq, developments in recent weeks have inspired both pessimism and optimism. On the one hand, an increase in bomb attacks – with 300 fatalities in April – raised fears of a return to the peak in levels of violence seen of 2005-2006. And events in […]
By Sherif Salem. While attending an investment conference in Erbil in November, I was struck by a theme that came through in almost all my meetings with listed-company executives: a desire to engage with foreign companies. It seems as if expertise is more in demand than capital as companies look to grow and take advantage […]
By Padraig O'Hannelly. For readers interested in investment opportunities in Iraq, I think it's fair to say that our Expert Bloggers have excelled themselves in recent weeks. Following the analysis of Iraq's banking sector by InvestAD's Sherif Salem earlier this month, Mark DeWeaver of Quantrarian Asia Hedge has been picking through the balance sheets of […]
By Sherif Salem. The process of capital formation is underway in Iraq, and that is good news for the grass roots economy. At least that’s what stock market-listed North Bank’s latest earnings results indicate. Iraq’s gross domestic product has been growing at a rapid pace, but that’s mostly due to rising oil production and robust […]
By Sherif Salem, of Invest AD. Iraq’s banks are quietly on the move, and the consequences for the economy could be powerful and far-reaching. The country has 49 banks, and although lending has increased in the last couple of years, the loan-to-deposit rate still stands at only 44%, compared to around 80-90% for other banks […]
