So, which stocks should you pick? Look at real estate stocks this year, says EFG Hermes: 2019 will be a better year for real estate stocks after last year’s squeeze, EFG Hermes Head of MENA Strategy Mohamed Al Hajj told Bloomberg TV (watch, runtime: 2:21). “If we see continued falling inflation and interest rates, we should see some pick up in the sector, which was the worst-performing sector in Egypt last year,” he said.

Real estate, consumer and education stocks leading the way in 2019: Consumer and education stocks, along with real estate, are the current stock market picks for EFG Hermes, as the banking sector takes a backseat. “Banks continue to post decent earnings growth but banks wouldn’t be our top sector in Egypt this year,” Al Hajj said. “Consumers, real estate and education are probably the three sectors we’ll be focusing on.”