A market brief each morning, plus company filings and news from across Sri Lanka's stock market. Filter by company, sector and theme, and use sentiment badges to quickly identify Positive or Negative news.
Union Bank of Colombo (UBC) opened its third Leasing Hub in Matara to provide faster, more convenient leasing solutions and to support growth of the bank's leasing portfolio. The hub was inaugurated by Chief Business Officer Asanka Ranhotty in the presence of customers.
The Colombo Stock Exchange, together with the SEC and CA Sri Lanka, held issuer forums in Anuradhapura (10 Sept) and Jaffna (12 Sept) to brief SMEs on capital-market and alternative financing options, covering SME creditworthiness ratings, IPOs, regulatory requirements, succession planning and the Empower Board.
Sri Lanka Insurance Life appointed Dr. Sameera Dharmasena as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 22 September 2026. Dr. Dharmasena has over 21 years' experience in the Sri Lankan insurance industry and was most recently CEO of Sri Lanka Insurance General Ltd.
Divolca Electric Ltd received SLSI 1000, SLSI 734 and SLSI 734-2 certificates for its Divolca Nova series of switches and switch sockets.
TruePass, a Sri Lanka‑built digital identity and authentication platform, was launched in Colombo and established the TruePass Media Alliance with major local publishers to provide a common verified login and help publishers build first‑party audience relationships across participating sites.
Sri Lanka's rupee closed at 329.50/75 to the US dollar (from 329.30/60), while government bond yields fell across maturities, e.g. the 15.12.2028 bond dipped to 10.45-10.55% from 10.50-10.65% and several longer-dated yields also eased.
Treasury bill yields rose across maturities at Wednesday's auction, with all Rs60bn offered sold: 3-month 9.20% (+2bp), Rs30.12bn; 6-month 9.37% (+1bp), Rs19.52bn; 12-month 9.93% (+5bp), Rs10.35bn. 6- and 12-month bills available on tap.
Fitch upgraded Sri Lanka's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating from 'CCC+' to 'B-' with a Stable outlook, citing progress in fiscal consolidation, debt restructuring and reforms. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce welcomed the upgrade and urged continued reforms and stronger FX reserves to sustain stability.
Blink International has acquired Wristlab to create a scalable multi-brand watch retail platform in Sri Lanka, combining Blink's distribution network and after-sales infrastructure with Wristlab's retail presence to expand international brand offerings and enhance the consumer experience.
IMF Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou said fiscal support amid elevated commodity and fuel prices should be temporary, carefully costed and targeted to vulnerable groups. He also noted Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserve accumulation continued in July-August and the Central Bank remains committed to agreed reserve targets.
Sri Lanka's total exports reached US$12.01bn in Jan-Aug 2026, up 4.26% year‑on‑year, surpassing the US$12bn milestone. Merchandise exports rose 3.63% to US$9.41bn and services grew 6.59% to US$2.60bn; August exports were US$1.601bn (+1.77% YoY) with services up 13.97%.
IMF completed its seventh EFF review and 2026 Article IV consultations, saying Sri Lanka's economy has shown resilience but downside risks remain. The IMF noted 11 consecutive quarters of growth, rising reserves and strong fiscal outturn, while urging revenue reforms, cost‑recovery energy pricing and greater exchange‑rate flexibility.
Sri Lanka's rupee was quoted at 329.05/20 to the US dollar on Wednesday, firming from 329.30/60 the previous day, while government bond yields fell sharply (e.g. the 01.08.2030 bond at 10.90/95% from 11.05/15%).
IMF said its staff will continue discussions with Sri Lankan authorities to reach a staff-level agreement to conclude the Seventh Review of the EFF and the 2026 Article IV consultation. The mission noted 4.2% GDP growth in 2026Q2, 8% y/y inflation in August and US$6.9bn reserves, and urged revenue reforms, exchange-rate flexibility and monetary readiness.
The Supreme Court determined the Twenty Second Amendment can be enacted by a two-thirds parliamentary majority without a referendum and upheld raising judicial retirement ages (Supreme Court to 67; Court of Appeal to 65). The Bench dismissed recusal and full‑court requests, rejected 'court packing' and inducement claims, and ordered minor textual amendments to the Bill.
The 2027 Appropriation Bill sets Rs.4.99 trillion in service expenditure (about Rs.9.92 trillion total including statutory spending) and caps net government borrowings for 2027 at Rs.3.8 trillion. First Reading is due 7 Oct, with the Budget speech and Second Reading on 12 Nov.
Sri Lanka's tea exports fell about 5% year‑on‑year in the first eight months of 2026 to 166.3 Mnkg, with August shipments at 22.8 Mnkg. Rupee earnings held nearly steady at Rs.305.6bn, but US$ earnings slipped to about $948m amid higher freight and insurance costs and a lower average FOB.
Cabinet approved a Rs.22.2 billion contract to China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co (US$40.84m + Rs8.5bn) to build a 92,000-cubic-metre aviation fuel storage complex at Muthurajawela, a pipeline to Bandaranaike Airport and upgrades to the existing terminal.
The Supreme Court held that Clause 17 of the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill, which would bar bail above set monetary thresholds except in a High Court, can become law only if passed by a Special Majority in Parliament and approved at a referendum. The Court also found Clause 6(7) (bringing media proprietors into the asset-declaration net) and Clause 7 require Special Majorities, while Clauses 3, 4, 6(4), 6(5) and 11(1) may be passed with a simple majority.
Central Bank of Sri Lanka froze assets of six companies and their directors, barring disposal or transfer of properties under Section 44 of the Finance Business Act. The High Court confirmed and extended the orders; CBSL named the firms, warned the public to use only licensed deposit-takers and said investigations into other entities are ongoing.
The Cabinet approved awarding a €4.93 million contract to M/s Muhlbauer ID Services GmbH to supply five million pre-printed polycarbonate cards for issuance of National Identity Cards. The award follows an international competitive bidding process with eight bids and a High-Level Procurement Committee recommendation.
National inflation (NCPI) accelerated to 8.1% YoY in August 2026, up from 7.2% in July, with the index at 223.9 (MoM +0.26%). The rise was led by non-food items-notably Transport (petrol contributed 1.14 percentage points) and Housing-while food inflation also jumped, driven by fresh and dried fish, green chillies and onions.
Vidullanka PLC-led consortium emerged as the lowest-cost bidder (approx. Rs. 5 billion) for the construction of a 132 kV transmission line under a JICA-funded programme; the contract award remains subject to technical evaluations and formal issuance of the Letter of Award.
IMF staff concluded its mission and cautioned that recently tabled amendments could weaken Sri Lanka's anti‑corruption framework and transparency. The IMF urged maintaining the 5% inflation target, stronger revenue administration, greater exchange‑rate flexibility, and energy cost‑recovery pricing.
Government will assume full ownership of the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, transferring it to a Treasury-owned company while the Sri Lanka Air Force is appointed to manage day-to-day operations under a Cabinet-approved hybrid framework. The Treasury will fund salaries and operations from 2026-2028, the Health Ministry will supply pharmaceuticals and consumables worth about Rs.125 million annually, and an 11-member board will be appointed.
Cabinet approved awarding three rural road renovation contracts under the Rural Ways Program to M/s RR Construction Ltd totalling Rs.2.12 billion (exclusive of VAT): Kalutara Rs.659.05m, Kilinochchi Rs.801.74m and Mullaitivu Rs.659.12m. Seventeen bids were received and the High-Level Procurement Committee recommended RR Construction as the lowest substantially responsive bidder.
CEAT Kelani Holdings retained Fitch's National Long-Term Rating of 'AA+(lka)' with a Stable Outlook for the sixth consecutive year. Fitch cited the company's market leadership and resilient financial profile but noted exposure to rising input and energy costs and flagged maintenance capex of Rs.700m p.a. and growth capex of Rs.2.5bn (FY27) and Rs.1.5bn (FY28).
The Institute of Policy Studies issues policy recommendations to boost durable growth, prioritising trade competitiveness: simplify tariffs, remove para‑tariffs, phase out Export‑Import CESS and introduce a trade‑adjustment assistance package to support exporters. It also urges fiscal reforms, greater direct taxation, higher public investment in skills and shock‑responsive social protection.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met IMF Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou on 22 Sep to review Sri Lanka's IMF-supported programme, including its seventh review, and to secure continued IMF support. Central Bank representatives attended and discussions also covered managing external risks and proposed Anti-Corruption Act amendments.