Where you are born, you tend to be concerned about that country. For those who move away to another country for better opportunities, you are concerned with that country as you move about being a citizen. For the rest of the population, when a country changes or stabilizes from the past it is a good thing, however as an investor you have to narrow your alternatives.

In an article by Patricia Cohen of the New York Times News Service, for most people in the world the changing of the government in Syria is a good thing. The past Bashar Assad’s government sent half the population outside the country and the rest was essentially a war zone. The infrastructure needs to be replaced and 90% of the population is living in poverty. However the country does have assets.

Before the war, Syria produced 383,000 barrels of oil a day, at present that is down to 90,000 according to the World Bank. The country has been importing more oil than it exports and the pipelines to deliver oil and gas to Iraq, Jordan and Egypt need repairs.

In terms of the government, Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of the rebel coalition has taken power. However, the US government has a $10 million bounty for his head due to his previous links to al-Qaida. Will the US take off the bounty and over sanctions to Syria? Some of the other sanctions were financial, to try to slow down financial abilities of the Assad’s government. These sanctions do not allow people to send money to family in Syria. Will banks be allowed to send money?

In every war, the middle income people move with their feet or flee the country. In Syria more than 8 million fled the country, will they come back? will some of them want to come back?

To the north of Syria is Turkey. The country has more than 3 million refugees, will they go back to Syria. At the moment, one method to capitalize on the country’s infrastructure needs is Turkish companies are expected to win some contracts. On the Turkish exchange, stocks in steel and cement companies have risen. However, with all construction projects, they take time to bid on the contract, win the contract and do the work. How the safety and security of the country will depend if the companies do any work.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, there is always hope for more, but more tends to mean better supply systems and the country seemingly normal in operations. You may or may not like the government, but if there is reasonable peace and security, money can be made in the country. Ideally, profitable companies have evaluated many countries in the past and will continue to evaluate them which allows them to move forward with plans knowing the returns will meet expectations. If it is good for the company to move into the market, perhaps it is good for you to look at alternatives.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.