News & market updates

The ASPI fell 1.82% to 20,264.01, a seven-month low, as Middle East tensions and oil above $118 pushed markets down with margin calls and net foreign selling; JKH, AEL, COMB, MELS and HAYL were top negative contributors.

Colombo Stock Exchange fell 1.82% as the ASPI closed at 20,264.01 amid investor uncertainty over the West Asia conflict; the S&P SL20 fell 1.98%. Top negative contributors were John Keells (-3.74%), Access Engineering (-6.04%) and Commercial Bank (-1.42%), with turnover of Rs 3.95bn and banks active.

Colombo market rebounded as the ASPI rose 1.09% (222.54 pts) to 20,640.63 on turnover of Rs.5.27bn, while foreign investors were net sellers of Rs.191.2m. Banking led turnover (34%) driven by HNB crossings of Rs.607.7m; top movers included DOCK, RIL, AEL, MELS and ACL.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI rose 1.65% (335.95 pts) to 20,754.04, led by capital goods and banking. Colombo Dockyard jumped 8.74% and Access Engineering rose 4.46%; Ambeon Holdings announced a 1-for-4 share subdivision and Ceylon Land & Equity reported transfer of 241m rights.

Colombo Stock Exchange has lost over Rs. 1.1 trillion in value since the Middle East war began, with the ASPI down 2.49% (521.17 pts) to 20,418.09 yesterday. Panic selling hit retail investors, with COMB, HAYL, DOCK, NDB and AEL among 227 decliners and net foreign selling of Rs.104.7m.

The CSE fell as the ASPI dropped 4.45% (1,009.36 pts), wiping Rs. 348.6 billion amid Middle East tensions and oil topping $100/bbl. Banking shares including COMB, HNB, HAYL and NTB were leading negatives while capital goods and crossings by MELS, ACL and AEL drove turnover.

ASPI fell 1.63% to 21,998.12 as Middle East tensions and higher oil prices weighed on the Colombo market. S&P SL20 dropped 1.71% to 6,172.28 with broad declines led by JKH, HNB, MELS, HAYL and SAMP; turnover topped Rs.4.1bn and foreigners were net buyers of Rs.32.2m.

Asia Securities convened 150+ investors and corporate leaders at the Sri Lanka Investor Conference 2026 to present a constructive capital-market outlook, with speakers citing roughly 4% GDP growth prospects for 2026. Panels highlighted construction, banking/finance, consumer and digital sectors as key growth drivers and projected strong corporate earnings expansion.

The ASPI plunged 3.51% to 21,904.14 as panic selling and a >25% surge in crude to about $115/bbl on Middle East conflict hit the CSE; banking and blue-chip stocks (Commercial Bank, HNB, JKH, Sampath, C T Holdings) led declines while Lanka IOC rose.

The ASPI rose 0.60% (134.03 pts) to 22,577.41 on bargain hunting after a prior session plunge, with turnover ~Rs.4.7bn and foreign net outflow of Rs.95.1m. Capital goods led turnover (Rs.1.5bn) while banking and diversified financials also drove gains.

ASPI plunged 1,290.68 points (-5.4%) to 22,443.38 on Feb 3 after Middle East tensions triggered panic selling and a 30-minute circuit breaker; the S&P SL20 fell 322.32 pts (-4.9%). Turnover was Rs.9.6bn (up 62.9%); foreign investors net sold Rs.59.6m; decliners included COMB, SAMP, HNB, JKH and HAYL, while LIOC, CFLB, BOPL, MRH and MADU were among gainers.

Colombo stocks rose with the ASPI up 0.33% to 23,781.23, led by blue-chip gains from JKH, HAYL, MELS, AEL and LMF. Banking counters faced selling pressure after Q4 results while capital goods drove turnover (27%); foreigners were net buyers of Rs.194m.

Colombo market closed marginally higher: ASPI +0.05% (12.48 pts) at 23,703.10 and S&P SL20 +0.06% at 6,685.27 on turnover >Rs.4bn. Diversified financials, capital goods and banking led activity with CDB, DIAL, PLR, JKH and DOCK as key positive contributors while foreigners were net sellers (Rs.72m; YTD outflow Rs.15.9bn).

Colombo stocks closed in red, with the ASPI down 0.39% (92.40 pts) to 23,690.62 and the S&P SL20 down 0.71% to 6,681.12 on turnover of nearly Rs.3.7bn. Price losses in John Keells, Melstacorp and Nations Trust Bank were key negatives while ACL Cables, Access Engineering and Dialog were top turnover names.

Access Engineering will invest $6.9 million to establish a cyclotron-based radiopharmaceutical production facility, with commissioning scheduled for today; it holds a 60% stake in Access Medical Tracers Ltd.

ASPI rose 0.24% to 23,709.84 with turnover above Rs.8.5bn and foreign investors net sold Rs.986.2m. Top positive contributors were HNB, RICH, CTEA, COMB and AEL; TKYO led materials-sector turnover (Rs.2.05bn) and JINS recorded a 7.8% price gain.

ASPI closed down 0.01% at 23,652.51 with turnover of LKR 4.8bn and net foreign outflow of LKR 42.7m. Banks led turnover (30%), food & beverage and capital goods together contributed 31%; top negatives were RICH, CFIN, JKH, RIL and AEL, while RAL saw net foreign buying and crossings were led by COCO, COMB and DOCK.

Colombo market ended flat as the ASPI fell 0.02% to 23,623.74 with turnover near Rs.5.17 billion and foreign investors net sold about Rs.91 million. Top negative contributors were SFCL, JKH, BUKI, CTHR and DFCC, while DOCK, ACL and RHL led turnover and HAYL and DOCK supported index performance.

Access Engineering PLC completed piling work for Home Lands’ Bayfonte Marina in Negombo one month ahead of schedule, deploying five piling machines to finish the high-quality work; piling completion allows the project construction to proceed in full swing.

Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka & Finance PLC (MBSL) recalibrated the MBSL Midcap Index effective 1 January 2026, setting the midcap market-cap range at Rs. 8.45 billion–Rs. 84.5 billion and selecting 25 constituents. New inclusions include Sierra Cables, Aitken Spence, Vallibel Finance, Lanka IOC, JAT Holdings and Prime Lands; Citizens Development, CIC, Ceylon Grain Elevators, John Keells, Hayleys Fabric, Teejay Lanka and Watawala Plantations were excluded.

Sri Lanka's Colombo Stock Exchange rose on the first trading day of 2026, with the All Share Price Index up 1.26% to 22,910.46 and the S&P SL20 up 0.63% to 6,195.95 on turnover of 5.1 billion rupees. Top contributors included ACL Cables, Commercial Bank, Access Engineering and DFCC Bank, with construction and bank shares drawing investor interest as reconstruction followed Cyclone Ditwah.

The Colombo stock market gained Rs.84 billion as the ASPI rose 1.42% to 22,445.89. Top contributors included Colombo Dockyard, Melstacorp, Hatton National Bank, Richard Pieris and Commercial Bank, with capital goods, banking and materials driving turnover and hotel stocks seeing buying interest.

Colombo Stock Exchange rose 1.49% as the ASPI closed 313.56 points higher at 22,445.89, led by gains in Colombo Dockyard, Melstacorp, HNB and Commercial Bank. Market turnover fell to 3.4 billion rupees and net foreign outflow was 36.73 million rupees, led by John Keells.

Colombo Stock Exchange opened mixed: ASPI rose 0.29% to 22,132.33 while the S&P SL20 slipped 0.06% to 6,037.79 on turnover of about Rs. 3.7bn and net foreign outflows of Rs. 200.5m. Colombo Dockyard, DFCC and Richard Pieris led gains while John Keells and Commercial Bank fell.

Access Engineering PLC was awarded a contract by the Cabinet to build 615 housing units at Colombage Mawatha, Kirulapone. The award follows the procurement process and a High Level Standing Procurement Committee recommendation after four bids were received.

The CSE announced S&P SL20 rebalancing effective 22 December: four stocks were added (Access Engineering, People’s Leasing, Singer Sri Lanka, Sunshine Holdings) and five were removed (Ceylon Cold Stores, Chevron Lubricants Lanka, Commercial Bank Non-Voting, LOLC Finance, Royal Ceramics).

Access Engineering (AEL.N0000), Singer Sri Lanka (SINS.N0000) and Sunshine Holdings (SUN.N0000) were added to the S&P Sri Lanka 20 index effective 22 Dec 2025 (after the market close of 19 Dec 2025). The changes are from the S&P Dow Jones Indices 2025 year-end rebalance.

Dividend · Rs 1.00 · XD Dec 23, 2025

First Interim dividend of LKR 1/share; XD 2025-12-23; record 2025-12-23; payable 2026-01-13; FY ending 31st March 2026