According to Banque Du Liban (BDL) statistics, the combined balance sheet of investment banks operating in Lebanon narrowed by 0.10% (LBP 88.70 billion) during the first five months of 2026 to LBP 92,066 billion, down from LBP 92,155 billion at end of 2025. In details, cash and deposits with Central Banks dropped by 4.28% (LBP 1,542.66 billion) to LBP 34,495 billion and was accompanied by the 9.61% (LBP 1,346.90 billion) decrease in the value of fixed assets to LBP 12,675 billion, and the 8.16% (LBP 857.76 billion) drop in the value of the securities portfolio to LBP 9,657 billion, which altogether outweighed the 20.65% (3,198.26 billon) rise in claims on the private sector to LBP 18,683 billion, the 4.63% (LBP 363.25 billion) increase in the value of other assets to LBP 8,210 billion, and the 1.18% (LBP 96.98 billion) rise in claims on the non-resident financial sector to LBP 8,343 billion among others. On the liabilities side, investment banks’ other liabilities decreased by 5.37% (LBP 713.06 billion) up until May 2026 to LBP 12,556 billion, coupled with the 63.75% (284.57 billion) drop in liabilities to the public sector to LBP 162 billion, and the 1.02% (LBP 256.02 billion) decrease in investment banks’ capital accounts to LBP 24,887 billion, have totally eroded the 13.70% (LBP 1,404.90 billion) rise in liabilities to the non-resident financial sector to LBP 11,662 billion.

Abiding by legislative decree number 50 and subsequent BDL circulars, investment banks operating in Lebanon have managed over the last couple of years to increase their lending activity to the private sector while reducing their exposure to the public sector. As a result, the surplus, representing the difference between loans to the private sector and claims on the public sector, reached LBP 18,679 billion in May 2026 compared to LBP 15,481 billion in December 2025 and LBP 12,762 billion in May 2025.