Category: Markets
Sri Lanka FDI down in first half of 2019: Dips in service and infrastructure sectors
Nov 05, 2019 (LBO) – The Central Bank says that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) including loans to projects approved by the Board of Investment (BOI), decreased by 61.3 percent during the first half of 2019 compared with the same period last year. The island received US 553.2 million dollars in the first six months of […]
Ceylon Chamber advocates 12 focus areas to accelerate economic growth
Oct 30, 2019 (LBO) – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has identified twelve (12) areas as priority areas for Sri Lanka’s economic development in the 2020-25 period. The chamber launched the working draft of the Sri Lanka Economic Acceleration Framework (SEAF) 2020-25 on 17 September 2019 with the aim of identifying key areas for the […]
First Capital recommends investors to increase exposure in mid-long tenor bonds
Oct 24, 2019 (LBO) – First Capital Research recommends investors to increase overall fixed income portfolio exposure to 50 percent from 45 percent. The firm also recommends cutting carrying portfolio to 15 percent from 30 percent and to increase trading portfolio to 35 percent from 15 percent. “We recommend cutting short tenor maturities of the […]
Financial Action Task Force delists Sri Lanka from Grey List
Oct 21, 2019 (LBO) – The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global policy setter on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), has delisted Sri Lanka from FATF’s Compliance Document which is more commonly identified as “the Grey List”. The decision was taken at the FATF Plenary held during 13-18 October 2019 […]
SEC issues cautionary notice to public on investing in offshore companies
Oct 14, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Securities and Exchange Commission says that it has become aware of a growing number of unsolicited phone calls from persons claiming to be agents of international stock broker firms, offering to facilitate investment in shares of companies traded on offshore jurisdictions with a promise of guaranteed high returns. […]
Sri Lanka CB maintains policy rates unchanged
Oct 11, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Monetary Board has decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank at their current levels of 7.00 percent and 8.00 percent, respectively. The Board arrived at this decision following a careful analysis of current and expected […]
Colombo stocks surge as Gota secures SLFP support
October 9, 2019 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan stock market surged in response to presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa officially securing the support of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). SLFP support was seen as crucial to Rajapaksa’s campaign, and was by no means guaranteed. In Sri Lanka’s 2018 islandwide local government elections, when the votes […]
Softlogic Capital to raise Rs1.5Bn
Oct 08, 2019 (LBO) – Softlogic Capital PLC has decided to raise Rs 1,500 million through a debenture issue, a statement said. Soflogic Capital said in a Colombo Stock Exchange filing that it will issue 15,000,000 listed, rated, senior, unsecured, redeemable debentures, at a price of 100 rupees each, subject to necessary regulatory approvals.
First Capital anticipates Sri Lanka ASPI to reach 6,000 by Dec 2019 & 6,500 by Jun 2020
Oct 04, 2019 (LBO) – First Capital Research expects the equity market to adopt an upward trajectory over the next 12 months as they expect the ASPI to reach the next stage of the market cycle “Hope” stage and the Optimism stage. With the expected uptrend, the research firm targets ASPI to reach 6,000 by […]
IOSCO launches World Investor Week to promote investor education
Sep 30, 2019 (LBO) – The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) today launched its third annual World Investor Week (WIW) following its success in previous years at attracting more than one thousand financial organizations to showcase their initiatives for promoting investor education and protection across the globe. From 30 September to 6 October 2019, […]
‘s Extended Fund Facility
Sep 25, 2019 (LBO) – International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the Sri Lankan authorities are taking steps to complete all the pending actions and structural benchmarks for the sixth review of Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) over the next few weeks. A staff team from the IMF led by Manuela Goretti visited Colombo […]
Global financial assets fall, SL economy slows: Report
Sep 20, 2019 (LBO) – Allianz’s Global Wealth Report, which puts the asset and debt situation of households in more than 50 countries/regions under the microscope says financial assets in 2018 across industrial and emerging countries/regions declined simultaneously for the first time. Savers worldwide have found themselves in a bind, due to the escalating trade […]