(MENAFN - Daily News Egypt) Beltone Financial Holding aims to complete its plans in the investment banking sector in 2018.

The company will focus on certain activities such as IPOs, mergers, and acquisition transactions in light of the high demand from foreign institutions for them.

This came due to the company's success in completing two offerings in the Egyptian market during the past year.

Chairperson of the company Mohamed El-Akhdar discussed with Daily News Egypt his expectations regarding investment prospects at Beltone Financial Holding and his outlook for the new year.

The company aims to increase its focus on the activities of the IPOs, as well as mergers and acquisitions (M & A) in light of the high rates of return offered by the Egyptian market to investors.

El-Akhdar said that the returns received by investors in Egypt cannot be compared to other markets. 'This year, there will be a decline in exchange rates, which will double the return on investment, and the market is waiting for some positive news to see its impact on the indicators,' said El-Akhdar.

He revealed that Beltone Financial is working on two IPOs in 2018 in both the consumer and industrial sectors, one of which is currently completing its merger procedures in preparation for launching. It is one of the top three companies in the sector through which it operates in the Egyptian market.

According to El-Akhdar, the company is working on two M & As the contracts for which are expected to be signed this month. One of the contracts would make Beltone a financial adviser to Zahran Group in the merger with the French Groupe SEB to create a new entity called Groupe SEB Egypt Zahran.

The merger is expected to take place during the second quarter of this year after obtaining the approval of regulatory bodies.

He explained that the role of Beltone in the deal includes the separation of activities and some real estate assets belonging to the Zahran Group outside the new entity, where the French Groupe SEB aims for Egypt to be its platform for expansion into the markets of the African continent and the Middle East.

According to Beltone's banking head, the opportunities in sectors of the Egyptian economy during the new year are not suitable for real estate projects, with some shares of the sector at discount rates of up to 50% of their fair values.

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