Category: Markets
IMF to visit Colombo in mid-Feb to resume program discussions: Christine Lagarde
Jan 16, 2019 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund remains ready to support the Sri Lankan authorities and an IMF team is scheduled to visit Colombo in mid-February to resume program discussions, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said. Managing Director of the IMF who met with Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Governor Indrajit […]
Sri Lanka Govt., IMF talks to start
Jan 14, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera led delegation arrived in Washington, Sunday for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In a twitter message the Finance Minister said that he plans to put the US 1.5 billion dollar Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program back on track. “Arrived in DC with @MangalaLK […]
‘s capital markets continues in 2019
January 12, 2019 (LBO) – Foreign institutional selling out of Sri Lanka’s bond and stock markets continued at a brisk pace in the first two weeks to start 2019. After the crippling USbn of net outflows from Sri Lanka’s bond and stock markets in 2018, 2019 has seen Rs11bn net outflows from stocks and bonds […]
FM to meet IMF Managing Director in Washington on IMF Fund Facility
Jan 09, 2019 (LBO) – Minister Mangala Samaraweera will leave for Washington on Friday, to get the IMF External Fund Facility (EFF) back on track, the Finance Ministry said. The ministry said in a statement that the minister will be meeting Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director, Chanyong Rhee, Director, Asia Pacific Department, Manuel Goretti, […]
Reserve Bank of India agrees to provide USD400mn SWAP to Central Bank
Jan 09, 2019 (LBO) – Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has agreed to provide 400 million US dollars to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka under its SAARC SWAP facility which will boost the reserves in the country. Sri Lanka’s Central Bank said in a statement that they have also requested a further bilateral SWAP […]
Recent rupee depreciation aligned with capital outflows not current account
Jan 08, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor says that the rupee depreciation is no longer aligned with fundamentals in terms of current account flows and it is now being driven by capital outflows from the government securities market.Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy recently revealed that foreigners who held about two billion US dollars worth […]
Sri Lankan shares fall about 10 pct in 2016; directions on rupee, rates awaited
Dec 30, 2016 (Reuters) – Sri Lankan shares fell on Friday, posting a yearly decline of about 10 percent, in thin trade due to year-end holidays, while investors waited for directions from the central bank on the rupee and interest rates. The central bank is most likely to keep its key interest rates steady at […]
Market Watch: Eyes on policy decision, liquidity in surplus (Updated)
(Updated with 330 billion rupee CBSL holding of government securities) Dec 30, 2016 (LBO) – All eyes were on the Sri Lanka monetary policy decision to be announced later on Friday, with secondary market bond yields ticking slightly higher. Dealers said the central bank was likely to keep rates steady, though there was pressure to […]
Sri Lankan rupee falls ahead of c.bank decision on policy rates
Dec 30, 2016 (Reuters) – The Sri Lankan rupee traded weaker on Friday due to unusual year-end dollar demand from importers and ahead of an announcement on monetary policy by the central bank later in the day, dealers said. Sri Lanka’s central bank is most likely to keep its key interest rates steady on Friday, […]
‘s share of Chinese FDI going into Asia low: policy paper
Dec 30, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka, which runs a trade deficit with China, should aim to increase the island’s share of Chinese FDI going into Asia, a policy paper by the Lakshaman Kadirgamar Institute says. The paper argues that Sri Lanka’s relatively low rank among China’s economic partners challenges some claims about China’s contributions […]
Sri Lankan shares hit more than 1-wk closing high; PABC boosts turnover
Dec 29, 2016 (Reuters) – Sri Lankan shares touched a more than one-week closing high on Thursday led by financials, with shares of Pan Asia Banking Corporation Plc accounting for 85 percent of the day’s turnover. The Colombo stock index finished 0.28 percent higher at 6,245.71, moving away from its lowest close since April 6 […]
Sri Lankan rupee ends steady amid moral suasion
Dec 29, 2016 (Reuters) – The Sri Lankan rupee closed steady on Thursday as light importer dollar demand was met by exporter selling and moral suasion by the central bank boosted sentiment, dealers said. They said the local currency might weaken in January after the central bank’s comment on Friday that the rupee’s depreciation was […]