News & market updates

Hayleys PLC's engineering arm was appointed to deliver Continental's tyre plant expansion at Wagawatta, Kalutara under a turnkey contract signed on 21 July; the project covers civil, structural, PESB, MEP and utilities work and is expected to create about 200 jobs.

Colombo Stock Exchange indices ticked up: ASPI rose 0.05% (11.60 pts) to 21,133.38 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.15% to 5,949.05, with market turnover at Rs 64.7m and banks leading turnover (Rs 32.4m). Notable movers included Commercial Bank, LOLC and ACL Plastics (declared interim dividend), while JKH, Central Finance and Browns Investments weighed down the index.

Hemas Consumer Brands (Hemas Holdings) honoured long-service distributor partners at its National Sales Awards 2026, recognising their contribution to getting its FMCG products to market and reaffirming the company's commitment to invest in distributor growth and operational support.

Dividend · Rs 0.40 · XD Sep 11, 2026

First And Final dividend of LKR 0.4/share; XD 2026-09-11; record 2026-09-14; payable 2026-09-30; FY ended 31st March 2026

CIC Holdings (CIC.N0000) reported profit attributable to equity holders of Rs. 1.51 bn in 1QFY27, up 23.24% YoY, with group PAT of Rs. 1.81 bn (+19.69%) on consolidated revenue of Rs. 22.03 bn (+2.74% YoY); total assets exceeded Rs. 100.14 bn.

Sunshine Holdings PLC has launched a Group-wide data, digital and AI transformation called 'Reimagining the Future: Sunshine's Digital Evolution Journey' to become more data-driven and AI-ready. The programme will partner with Beyond: Putting Data to Work for organisational readiness and Ernst & Young Sri Lanka for enterprise technology and ERP design.

John Keells CG Auto (part of John Keells) opened BYD's ninth Sri Lanka showroom in Batticaloa, expanding NEV retail coverage with plans for service and spare-parts facilities; Keells has deployed 46 fast chargers and, with GreenEV, expanded public charger access to 129 locations island-wide.

Hemas Holdings' Diva Fresh has relaunched an improved washing powder with Stain Fighter Technology, Perfume Booster and Optical Brightener, plus a larger 60g sachet (extra 10g), aimed at better day-to-day stain removal while maintaining value and affordability.

Colombo stocks closed flat with the ASPI up 0.01% at 21,132.12 and market turnover of Rs 1.41 billion; banks led turnover at Rs 411.6 million and Food, Beverage & Tobacco followed with Rs 308.7 million. Notable movers included Melstacorp, HNB, Pan Asia, Central Finance and Aitken Spence; Lanka Realty Investments disclosed an Rs 800m related-party loan settlement.

Advantis Group, the transportation and logistics arm of Hayleys PLC, is the Official Logistics Partner and Platinum Sponsor of University of Moratuwa's Falcon E Racing as the team competes at Formula Student Spain 2026; a contingent of 32 students and two lecturers has departed for the event.

Colombo Stock Exchange indices were trading higher midday, the ASPI up 0.36% (76.41 pts) at 21,205.62 and the S&P SL20 up 0.38% at 5,962.29; market turnover was Rs 314 million, with banks leading at Rs 122.7 million. Asia Asset Finance said 41,398,511 preference shares will be deemed converted into 53,348,596 ordinary shares at Rs 7.76 each effective Aug 10 (pref shares trade ends Aug 6; ordinary shares from Sep 16).

The Colombo market ended the week in red: ASPI fell 0.2% for the week and closed yesterday at 21,129.21 (‑0.09%), while the S&P SL20 was down 0.04% for the week. Market turnover was over Rs.4.3bn; main negative contributors were HNB, CFIN, DFCC, HAYL and LOLC, and foreign investors were net buyers of Rs.955.2m.

Beruwala Resorts PLC obtained a Rs. 60 million short-term working-capital loan from its ultimate parent, Colombo Fort Land & Building PLC, at AWPLR + 2%. The Related Party Transactions Review Committee said the transaction was on normal commercial terms and not prejudicial to minority shareholders.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed lower on Friday: ASPI down 0.09% (19.50 pts) at 21,129.21 and S&P SL20 down 0.01% at 5,945.22. Market turnover was Rs 4.35 billion, with capital goods leading at Rs 1.35 billion; Hemas, Haycarb, Melstacorp and Vallibel One were positive contributors while HNB, Central Finance and DFCC were negative contributors.

Sunshine Holdings PLC launched a Group-wide data, digital and AI transformation called 'Reimagining the Future: Sunshine's Digital Evolution Journey' to become data-driven and AI-ready. The group appointed Beyond: Putting Data to Work for organisational readiness and Ernst & Young Sri Lanka for enterprise technology and ERP design.

City of Dreams Sri Lanka marks its first anniversary, with its two hotels achieving five-star status and the integrated resort reporting notable contributions to tourism, employment and MICE growth. The destination combines luxury hotels, dining, entertainment and events and plans further expansion and international partnerships.

The Sri Lanka, France Business Council held its 22nd Annual General Meeting in Colombo and elected Shaameel Mohideen (Spillburg Holdings) as President and Zafir Hashim (John Keells Holdings PLC) as Senior Vice President. Representatives from Aitken Spence and Diesel & Motor Engineering were also elected to the council committee.

Sri Lanka's top 100 brands rose 17% to a combined Rs652bn, surpassing the 2019 peak of Rs630bn, says Brand Finance's Sri Lanka 100 2026 report. Banking accounted for 42% (Rs275bn) of the total; BOC remained most valuable while Commercial Bank, Sampath, Nations Trust, Dialog, Keells and PickMe all saw brand value gains.

Colombo Stock Exchange indices were trading higher midday: ASPI up 0.13% (26.86 pts) at 21,175.57 and S&P SL20 up 0.23% at 5,959.94, with retailing leading turnover at LKR 1.029 billion. Seylan Bank reported Q2 profit attributable to equity holders of LKR 3.21 billion, up 16.31% y/y.

Brand Finance's Sri Lanka 100 2026 report shows the combined value of the nation's top 100 brands rose 17% to a record LKR652 billion, surpassing the 2019 peak; banking brands account for 42% (LKR275bn). Several listed firms including Commercial Bank, Dialog, Sampath, Nations Trust, PickMe and John Keells recorded brand-value gains.

Brand Finance's Sri Lanka 100 2026 report: the combined brand value of the top 100 Sri Lankan brands rose 17% to a record Rs. 652 billion, surpassing the 2019 peak. Banking brands account for 42% (Rs. 275bn) of the total; several banks and digital brands posted double-digit gains.

Union Assurance launched what it called the largest Leader Reward Scheme for agency leaders in Sri Lanka's life insurance industry at its Leader Conference 2026, aiming to recognise top performers and accelerate leadership development. Union Assurance is a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings PLC.

Colombo bourse ended lower: ASPI fell 0.38% to 21,148.71 and S&P SL20 dropped 0.26% to 5,946.03. Market turnover was nearly Rs.1.1bn, foreign investors were net sellers of Rs.710,860, with SPEN, CINS, COMB, ACL and RICH among the decliners.

A 31-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation concluded a three-day visit to Sri Lanka to explore trade and investment opportunities, meeting government officials and firms including Hayleys PLC and signing two MoUs to strengthen export and investment cooperation.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed lower, with the ASPI down 0.38% to 21,148.71 and market turnover of Rs.1.094 billion; capital goods led turnover at Rs.389 million. Bogala Graphite reported an indirect change of control (shares down 2.01%) and Lankem Ceylon disclosed a Rs.500m corporate guarantee for its subsidiary (shares up 5.23%).

Houlihan Lokey values the Indian Premier League's business at $20.6 billion, up about 11% year‑on‑year. Franchise valuations hit record highs (Bengaluru sold for $1.78bn, Rajasthan for $1.65bn) and the league's stand‑alone brand is valued at $4.3bn.

John Keells Holdings (JKH.N0000) will open the first Wendy's restaurant in Sri Lanka by December 2026, re-entering the organised quick-service-restaurant market via wholly owned John Keells Restaurants Ltd. and planning a phased rollout; the initial equity outlay is described as not material.

The Colombo market extended its recovery into a second session as the ASPI rose 0.20% to 21,229.14, with turnover above Rs. 2 billion and foreign investors net sellers of over Rs. 1 billion. Top contributors to the rise were Colombo Dockyard, John Keells Holdings, Commercial Bank, ACL Cables and NDB Bank.