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.
Colombo bourse edged up as the ASPI rose 0.03% to 21,325.64 on turnover of over Rs.1.2bn; banks led activity while geopolitical tensions and higher global oil prices weighed on sentiment and foreigners were net sellers of Rs.7.2m.
Standard Chartered Sri Lanka hosted a 'A Test of Resilience' webinar on the H2-2026 global and Sri Lanka economic outlook, highlighting risks like geopolitical uncertainty, stretched market valuations and energy-market spillovers. Speakers reviewed inflation, currency and energy outlooks and Sri Lanka's policy path beyond the IMF EFF due to end in 2027.
Asian stocks tumbled as renewed US-Iran fighting pushed Brent crude to $95.91/bbl and triggered a global bond selloff, lifting the US 10-year yield to an intraday high of 4.8122% and MSCI Asia‑Pacific ex‑Japan down 1.5%. Traders price a higher chance of Fed tightening while RBNZ hiked rates 25bp to 2.75%.
Oil prices rose after the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes, with Brent at $95.40/bbl and WTI at $90.66/bbl, extending a recent surge. The escalation raised supply-disruption risk around the Strait of Hormuz and came alongside a drawdown in U.S. crude inventories.
The Colombo market opened the month lower as the ASPI fell 0.1% to 21,318.31, with turnover above Rs.2.3bn and foreign net outflows of Rs.612.5m. Selling late in the session hit JKH, BREW, DFCC, DIAL and MELS, while CCS and Asia Siyaka rose.
Sri Lanka's cumulative trade deficit widened to US$6.5 billion in Jan-July 2026 (from US$3.9bn), driven mainly by soaring fuel import costs and weaker export performance. Services and tourism softened, while workers' remittances and official reserves provided some support.
Sri Lanka's current account posted a $142m deficit in July, the fourth consecutive monthly deficit, leaving a January-July cumulative deficit of $387m, the central bank said. The trade deficit widened to $6.5bn Jan-Jul, fuel import costs rose 68% YoY in July, tourism earnings fell while remittances and some foreign inflows rose.
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation cut petrol prices with effect from midnight 30 August: Petrol 92 down Rs.15 to Rs.399/litre and Petrol 95 down Rs.20 to Rs.475/litre. Diesel (Auto and Super) and kerosene prices remain unchanged.
The external current account recorded a $142m deficit in July, bringing the Jan-July cumulative shortfall to $387m as the merchandise trade deficit widened to $6.5bn (imports up 26% to $14.6bn). Fuel imports rose ~60% YoY to $3.62bn; the rupee was 5.5% weaker YTD to end‑Aug and reserves were $6.6bn at end‑July.
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