‘s Softlogic to sell a billion rupees in debt

Aug 22, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Softlogic Holdings will sell up to a billion rupees in listed debt, the Colombo Stock Exchange said. The company will offer 5 million rupees of rated debt at 100 rupees each, with a option to issue another 5 million if the first tranche is oversubscribed. Subscriptions will open […]

S&’s RAM Ratings

Aug 22, 2013 (LBO) – US-based Standard and Poor’s Rating Services said it had increased a stake in RAM Holdings Berhad of Malaysia, the parent of RAM Ratings. S&P has raised its stake to 1.2 percent to 6.1 percent. S&P had first bought into RAM in 2011 with a 4.9 percent stake. .

Sri Lanka bond yields up

Aug 22, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s bond yields spiked Thursday with a 5-year bond popular among foreign investors quoted as high as 11.70/75 percent, dealers said. Sri Lanka has also lost forex reserves amid looser monetary policy and some capital repayments but credit growth is weaker at the moment. The 5-year bond maturing on […]

ADB says Asian nations need at least 18-pct industry to be rich

SINGAPORE, August 21, 2013 (AFP) – Growth-hungry Asian economies which bypass industrialisation and leapfrog from agriculture to the services sector may fall into a “middle income trap”, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) cautioned Wednesday.ADB chief economist Changyong Rhee said the region’s low-income economies should focus on developing their manufacturing sectors, which would in turn generate […]

‘s RBI to sterilize interventions with long-bond purchases

MUMBAI, August 21, 2013 (AFP) – India’s shares opened higher and bond yields eased Wednesday but its currency remained under pressure after the central bank announced moves to inject 80 billion rupees into the banking system. Banking stocks jumped on the new measures, pushing Indian shares 1.22 percent higher to 18,468.55 points, after falling nearly […]

Jumpy Vietnamese caterpillar shies the Sun: study

PARIS, August 20, 2013 (AFP) – The larva of a Vietnamese moth has devised a unique form of transport — constructing a leaf cone and thrashing about inside to make it jump, a study showed Wednesday.Even more remarkably, the tiny caterpillar manages to steer its leafy vehicle in a clear direction along the forest floor […]

New alarmist IPCC report leaked as skepticism grows

WASHINGTON, August 21, 2013 (AFP) – Human activity is almost certainly the cause of climate change and global sea levels could rise by several feet by the end of the century, according to an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report leaked to media on Tuesday.The draft summary of the report all but dismissed recent […]

Smarting

SEOUL, August 21, 2013 (AFP) – News that Samsung will unveil a “smartwatch” next month has sent rumour mills into overdrive within the tech community as it second guesses what the much-hyped gadget will offer. Wearable computing, including Google’s smart glasses, is considered the next frontier in consumer electronics following smartphones. Apple has long been […]

Economic Pulse

Aug 21, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Cargills (Ceylon) Plc, which has interests in retailing, foods and restaurants said profits fell 49 percent to 121 million rupees in the June 2013 quarter amid narrower margins, but said the business environment was improving. Cargills also runs Sri Lanka’s KFC restaurant franchise. The company said prices have […]

Sri Lanka stocks slide 1.7-pct on large caps

Aug 21, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stocks plunged 1.7 percent Wednesday as three large capitalized stocks that had taken the market up in recent weeks, lost ground, brokers said. The benchmark Colombo All Share Index closed 107.6 points lower at 6,116.67 down 1.73 percent and the S&L20 Index slid 1.7 percent to close at […]

Sri Lanka Treasuries yields steady, 3-month rejected

Aug 21, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasuries yield were steady at Wednesday’s auction with six and 12-month yields easing one basis point, data from the state office showed.The 6-month yield eased one basis point to 9.65 percent and the 12-month yield also eased a basis point to 10.55 percent. Bids for 3-month bills were […]

‘s rupee slips to new record low against dollar

MUMBAI, August 20, 2013 (AFP) – India’s rupee hit a new all-time low against the dollar on Tuesday on continuing fears that recent measures to stabilise the currency and kickstart the flagging economy will not work. Asia’s worst-performing currency this year slid to 64.11 rupees against the dollar, past its previous low of 63.22 the […]

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