BEIRUT: Figures issued by the Central Bank show the net investment portfolio of Lebanese banks and financial institutions in foreign debt and equity securities fell to $5.6 billion at end-June 2012 from $7.1 billion a year earlier, a decrease of 22.1 percent.

Investments in long-term debt securities totaled $3.2 billion at end-June 2012, accounting for 57.1 percent of the total, followed by investments in equities with $2.3 billion, 41.6 percent of the total, while short-term debt securities accounted for $69.1 million, 1.2 percent of the total.

According to the Central Bank, the figures cover the net assets of resident financial institutions in tradable debt and equity instruments of non-resident issuers.

The distribution of investments by institutions indicates that commercial banks’ net portfolio in foreign long-term debt securities totaled $2.1 billion, accounting for 66.1 percent of total investments in such securities at end-June 2012.

The figure includes banks’ investment for their own account, on behalf of their clients and on a custodial basis.