News & market updates

Colombo Stock Exchange closed up; the All Share index rose 0.60% to 22,261.48 with turnover of Rs3.05 billion. Ceylinco Holdings, Melstacorp and Hatton National Bank were top positive contributors while DFCC Bank and Sunshine Holdings were top negatives.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI rose 0.40% to 22,218.06 at midday, with market turnover of Rs.1 billion and diversified financials leading turnover at Rs.263 million. Ceylon Tea Brokers said it will not proceed with the sale of DP Logistics and its shares were up 3.39% at Rs.12.20.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed up: ASPI +1.30% (284.12 pts) to 22,128.66. Top contributors included John Keells, Melstacorp and National Development Bank; turnover was Rs5.016bn and HNB Finance announced a Rs2,499,529,714 rights issue (2 for 9).

DFCC Bank won a Gold Award for Financial Inclusivity and a Merit Award for Customer Convenience at the LankaPay Technovation Awards 2026. The bank said the recognition highlights its push to improve digital access and ease of use via platforms such as DFCC ONE and DFCC MySpace.

DFCC Bank won a Gold Award for Financial Inclusivity and a Merit Award for Customer Convenience at the LankaPay Technovation Awards 2026. The recognition cites enhancements to DFCC ONE and DFCC MySpace and reflects the bank's push toward more customer-centric digital banking.

Colombo bourse opened mixed: ASPI rose 0.04% to 21,126.60 while the S&P SL20 fell 0.24%; market turnover exceeded Rs. 3bn and foreign investors were net sellers of Rs. 804.7m. Food & beverage and capital goods led turnover with heavy crossings in Melstacorp.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI closed up 0.04% to 21,126.60 as banking stocks faced selling pressure after NDB disclosed an internal fraud loss of 13.4 billion rupees and trading in NDB was halted. DFCC, Cargills Bank and Access Engineering led gains while Commercial Bank, HNB and Melstacorp were laggards; turnover was Rs.3.029bn.

DFCC Bank held its “Ride for Life: Ride for Her” cycling events in Colombo, Kandy and Galle to promote women’s empowerment, with nearly 100 participants including DFCC Aloka customers and employees.

ASPI fell 1.2% (258.31 pts) for the week and the S&P SL20 dropped 2% (124.30 pts); market turnover was about Rs.1.77bn with net foreign outflows of Rs.68.2m, while breadth was positive and activity was led by capital goods, banks, materials and food & beverage names.

DFCC Bank participated in the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Export Acceleration Program, highlighting sharper currency volatility, payment risks and shifting trade dynamics that are pushing exporters to seek integrated treasury, trade services and advisory support. The bank said exporters are pursuing more measured, disciplined growth.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed down with the ASPI down 0.12% to 21,066.18 and turnover at 3.57 billion rupees. Crossings included John Keells (11,971,313 shares) and Seylan Bank (300,000), and Dipped Products and Haycarb announced cash dividends of 0.76 and 1.70 rupees per share respectively.

DFCC Bank participated in the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Export Acceleration Programme, warning that sharper currency movements and rising payment risk are forcing exporters to seek integrated treasury, trade services and advisory support. Panelists said exporters are pursuing growth more cautiously and restructuring transactions to secure payments.

DFCC Bank was a Platinum Sponsor and prominent participant at the 36th APB Convention 2026; CEO Thimal Perera spoke on the 'Clarity in Complexity' panel and SVP Anton Arumugam presided as APB President, underscoring DFCC's leadership in the banking sector.

DFCC Bank was a Platinum Sponsor and had CEO Thimal Perera on a panel at the APB's 36th Anniversary Convention, highlighting its leadership role in industry dialogue. SVP Anton Arumugam, as APB President, presided over discussions on regulatory, economic and technological challenges for banks.

Daraz Sri Lanka launched its Avurudu Wasi campaign (27 Mar–8 Apr) offering Rs.50 million in vouchers, free delivery and discounts up to 85%, plus Brand Rush Hour deals from 60 brands. Payment partners include Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank, DFCC and Nations Trust Bank, and Dialog is a participating brand.

ASPI rose 3.56% for the week but closed yesterday down 0.21% at 21,375.73 as the bourse ended a volatile week; foreign investors were net sellers of over Rs.1.2 billion and market turnover was about Rs.2.7 billion.

National Development Bank (NDB) raised Rs. 16 billion via its inaugural Basel III-compliant Tier II GSS+ thematic bond, oversubscribed on 10 March 2026 and now Sri Lanka’s largest such issuance. GGGI provided technical assistance and has supported NDB, Commercial Bank of Ceylon and DFCC in developing sustainable finance frameworks.

Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC won the Overall Gold Award for ‘Excellence in Digital Payments’ at the LankaPay Technnovation Awards 2026. Other shortlist winners included HNB (Overall Bronze), Seylan (Overall Merit), LOLC Finance (NBFI Gold), LB Finance (NBFI Silver), Pan Asia and DFCC (category awards).

Colombo Stock Exchange rose after US President Trump's pause on attacks, with the All Share Price Index up 3.31% to 21,039.77 and the S&P SL20 up 3.57% to 5,889.75. Top contributors were Commercial Bank (up 5.49% to Rs.201.75), Sampath Bank (up 2.98% to Rs.155.75), Melstacorp (up 2.14% to Rs.167.00) and DFCC Bank (up 4.45% to Rs.135); DFCC also listed 12,310,834 shares after a scrip dividend.

The SLID-KPMG Audit Committee Forum (9 Mar 2026) urged audit committees to oversee ESG reporting under SLFRS S1/S2; panellists from Aitken Spence, MAS, Lion Brewery and DFCC discussed governance, data controls, implementation and sustainable financing.

DFCC Bank launched its Avurudu 2026 card campaign offering customers up to 70% savings at merchants, up to 3% cashback and 0% easy payment plans up to 48 months. The campaign highlights contactless/online transactions, fraud protection and digital banking tools to help manage seasonal spending.

DFCC Bank launched its Avurudu 2026 card campaign offering customers up to 70% savings at merchants, up to 3% cashback and 0% payment plans up to 48 months, plus contactless, fraud protection and digital banking support.

DFCC Bank PLC released its 13th Integrated Annual Report for the year ended 31 Dec 2025, reporting another year of strong financial performance and improved asset quality. The report highlights expanded digital platforms (DFCC ONE, iConnect 2.0), strengthened sustainability disclosures, and the issuance of Sri Lanka's first listed and rated Blue Bond.

DFCC Bank (DFCC Aloka) has partnered with Chrysalis to expand access to credit, training, digital tools and market linkages for women-led micro, small and medium enterprises across Sri Lanka, aiming to help them move from informal activity to structured, sustainable businesses.

Colombo Stock Exchange fell 3.47% to 20,939.26, wiping out about Rs.701 billion in value since Feb 28 amid concerns over the Middle East conflict. The S&P SL20 dropped 3.28% to 5,884.93, turnover was ~Rs.6.6bn, and major decliners included JKH, COMB, HNB, DIAL and DFCC.

CFA Society Sri Lanka will host Career Fest 2026 on 27 March 2026 in Colombo to connect students and early-career finance professionals with employers and sponsors including John Keells, Commercial Bank, HNB, Hayleys, DFCC and Capital Alliance. The event features sessions on the CFA Program, AI in finance and networking opportunities.

DFCC Bank PLC has entered a strategic partnership with Blue Lotus 360 to integrate its DFCC iCONNECT platform with Blue Lotus 360 ERP, enabling direct ERP-bank connectivity for payments, collections, real-time updates and automated reconciliation.

Colombo Stock Exchange fell sharply as the ASPI dropped 3.47% (753.29 pts) to 20,939.26 and the S&P SL20 fell 3.17% to 5,891.67, with major decliners including John Keells, Dialog Axiata, Commercial Bank, HNB and DFCC. Siyapatha Finance, a Sampath Bank subsidiary, received CSE approval in principle to list Rs.3.75bn of 11.50% debentures.

DFCC Bank PLC has entered a strategic partnership with Blue Lotus 360 to integrate DFCC iCONNECT with Blue Lotus 360's ERP via prebuilt APIs, enabling direct ERP-to-bank connectivity for automated payments, collections, real-time updates, reconciliation and POS settlement.