CAIRO, 8 March 2004 — Banks led Egyptian shares to close higher yesterday after a strengthening Egyptian pound on the black market raised expectations the official market may attract more dollars and boost business in banks, traders said. They also said Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) lifted stocks ahead of the announcement of its full-year results, expected to be very strong. The share rose 1.63 Egyptian pounds ($0.26), or 1.8 percent, to last trade at 92.02 pounds and officially close at 92.09 pounds. The benchmark Hermes index rose 175.80 points, or 1.3 percent, to 13,451.65 points. The broader CIBC index rose 0.42 points, or 0.5 percent, to 83.43 points.