News & market updates

Colombo ASPI fell 0.17% to 22,812.52 on Friday as selling pressure trimmed the market by 38.43 points; top decliners included Harischandra Mills, Sampath Bank, Melstacorp and Senkadagala Finance.

Colombo bourse rose as the ASPI gained 0.86% (closing at 21,521) with turnover of Rs. 9.29 billion, led by banking-sector activity and top contributors SAMP, CTC, CFIN, SFCL and DIST. Nations Trust Bank fell, while Jetwing Symphony, Ceylon Hotels and Hemas recorded gains.

Colombo ASPI rose 0.86% to 21,521.06 on Thursday, driven by continued interest in banks and financials. Top contributors included Sampath Bank, Ceylon Tobacco, Central Finance, Senkadagala Finance and Distilleries Company; turnover was 9.3 billion rupees.

Colombo stocks extended a five-session rally as ASPI rose 0.67% (141.78 pts) to 21,226.87 with turnover Rs.8.1bn and foreigners net buyers of Rs.584.1m. Capital Goods and Banking led turnover, with JKH, CTHR, SFCL and COMB among top contributors while SIRA fell sharply.

The Colombo ASPI rose 0.67% to 21,226.87, led by gains in John Keells, C T Holdings, Senkadagala Finance and Commercial Bank.

The ASPI rose about 7% in August, closing the month at 20,997.36 after a 197.10-point (0.95%) gain on the final day. Top contributors included Ceylinco Holdings, Senkadagala Finance and Richard Pieris; turnover was around Rs.7.4bn, led by consumer services and financials, with foreign net inflows of Rs.184.1m.

The ASPI rose 0.95% to close at 20,997.36, led by gains in Ceylinco Holdings, Senkadagala Finance and John Keells Holdings. Turnover was Rs 7.3bn with improved volumes as telecom, capital goods and financials drove the market advance.

Fitch affirmed Senkadagala Finance PLC's National Long-Term Rating at 'BBB(lka)' with a Stable Outlook, citing adequate capitalisation, a diversified funding base and improving asset quality. Fitch flagged rising exposure to two- and three-wheeler lending and margin lending (~6% of loans) as increased asset/market risks.

Brand Finance published Sri Lanka's 100 Most Valuable Brands for 2025, ranking Bank of Ceylon top with a brand value of Rs.57,411m; Commercial Bank, Dialog and People’s Bank follow the top positions. The list covers firms across banking, telecoms, FMCG, healthcare, hospitality and other sectors.

Dividend · Rs 2.80 · XD Aug 6, 2025

Final dividend of LKR 2.8/share; XD 2025-08-06; record 2025-08-06; payable 2025-08-26; FY 31st March 2025

The SEC, with ADB technical support, released a regulatory framework enabling issuance and trading of Green, Blue, Social and Sustainability‑Linked (GSS+) bonds on the Colombo Stock Exchange, allowing sovereigns and corporates to raise capital for environmental and social projects.

Colombo market fell 1.9% as the ASPI dropped 290 points to 15,711 on turnover of Rs.2.5bn, led by a selling spree; major negative contributors included HNB, SFCL, LOLC, COMB and HAYL. The banking sector accounted for 41% of turnover and its index lost 2.01%.

Sri Lanka's ASPI fell 1.81% to 15,710.57 and the S&P SL20 dropped 1.97% to 4,680.82 as selling pressure and profit-taking hit the market; Hatton National Bank, Senkadagala Finance, Commercial Bank and Hayleys were among the top negative contributors.

Fitch upgraded Senfin Money Market Fund’s ratings to 'AAf(lka)' (National Fund Credit Quality) and 'S1(lka)' (Market Risk Sensitivity). The fund is managed by SenFin, a wholly owned subsidiary of Senkadagala Finance PLC (SFCL.N0000), has LKR5.3bn AUM and Hatton National Bank (HNB.N0000) is trustee.

Experts at a CMA seminar said Budget 2025 has strengths but flagged practical concerns and tax risks, including taxing foreign service income at 15%, raising capital gains tax to 15%, and replacing SVAT with a risk-based refund; speakers urged focus on debt sustainability and SME support.

Fitch upgraded the national long-term ratings of 10 Sri Lankan non-bank financial institutions and affirmed eight after recalibrating the national scale; notable upgrades include Central Finance, L B Finance, HNB Finance, Merchant Bank, Abans Finance and Singer Finance, while UB Finance was affirmed with a negative outlook.

Colombo bourse hit record highs as ASPI rose 197 points (1%) to 17,025, led by banking stocks with Hatton National Bank up to Rs. 360.50 amid share-split rumours. Turnover was Rs. 9.78bn, banking and consumer stocks dominated activity and foreign investors were net sellers of Rs. 565.6m.

Nations Trust Bank (NTB.N0000) appointed Dr. Roshan Perera as an Independent Non-Executive Director. She has three decades of experience in economics, risk management and central bank supervision and currently serves as an Independent Director of Senkadagala Finance and formerly of Union Bank of Colombo.

Sri Lanka's ASPI rose 1.17% to 17,025.99 as stocks closed up 1.1%, led by gains in HNB, Central Finance, Hayleys, SFCL and LOLC-group names. Turnover was Rs 9.7bn with a net domestic inflow of Rs 565m, while some banks (Sampath, NDB, DFCC) fell.

Senkadagala Finance PLC appointed Dilshani Gayathri Wijayawardana as an Independent Non-Executive Director. She is an Attorney-at-Law since 1996, holds an LLM from the University of Cambridge and is a former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Thailand hosted a three-day business visit and Sri Lanka–Thailand Business Forum (16–18 Oct) for a 12-member Ceylon Chamber delegation. The delegation included senior representatives from Sarvodaya Development Finance PLC and Senkadagala Finance Company PLC.

Sri Lanka's central bank defended open market operations after standing-window deposits rose to Rs200 billion by Oct 29, saying injections averted a spike in interest rates; critics warn the injections are inflationary and risk future balance-of-payments and reserve problems.

The Ceylon Chamber and the Sri Lanka–Greater Mekong Business Council led a business promotion mission to Thailand (16–19 Oct 2024) to maximise benefits from the Sri Lanka–Thailand FTA (effective Jan 2025); delegates included Sarvodaya Development Finance PLC and Senkadagala Finance Company PLC to explore trade, FDI and sector partnerships.

A TW Corporate seminar featuring former MBSL executives urged lenders to adopt innovative credit evaluation and creative debt restructuring to reduce credit risk, improve monitoring and optimise balance sheets.

Central Bank Governor said a sovereign ISB bond exchange could occur in 6–8 weeks if the government proceeds with the existing DSA and completes a comparability assessment. He said an agreement in principle exists with ISB holders, local bondholders and the ADB, with local banks to receive new bonds.