Category: Economy and Markets
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Fitch Ratings has downgraded Sri Lanka’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘CC’, from ‘CCC’. Fitch typically does not assign Outlooks or apply modifiers for sovereigns with a rating of ‘CCC’ or below. Related: S&P downgrades Sri Lanka; Central Bank disputes
Sri Lanka’s Sovereign Foreign Debt: To Restructure or Not?
By Dr. Dushni Weerakoon: Sovereign debt restructuring can be pre-emptive or post-default. A default is inherently costly as it can result in a sustained loss of access to capital markets. That leaves pre-emptive restructuring when a country deems itself unable to service outstanding debt. The complex creditor landscape of today though makes governments reluctant to […]
S&P downgrades Sri Lanka; Central Bank disputes
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank says that S&P’s assessment to downgrade the rating has clearly failed to recognise the recent progress made by the Government and the CBSL in securing foreign exchange inflows to meet the government’s forthcoming debt obligations. Standard and Poor’s has downgraded Sri Lanka to ‘CCC’ from ‘CCC+’ with the outlook negative.
Hela Apparel Holdings IPO oversubscribed on opening day
The initial public offering (IPO) of shares of Hela Apparel Holdings Limited (Hela Clothing), one of the largest IPOs ever in Sri Lanka, received an overwhelmingly positive response, being oversubscribed within hours of the offer opening on the 12th of January 2022. Having successfully raised LKR 4 billion in equity capital for Hela Clothing, the […]
Opinion: Repay foreign debt or finance essential imports
By Chair of our Academic Programme and former Economic Adviser at the World Bank, Dr. Sarath Rajapatirana, and our Senior Research Fellow, and former Director of CBSL, Dr. Roshan Perera The available foreign reserves of the country can be used to either repay foreign creditors or to finance imports of essential goods and services required […]
How Samsung foldables are defining the future of smartphone innovation
When Samsung Electronics revealed its first prototype of a flexible display back in 2011, few people realized they were witnessing a glimpse into the mobile industry’s future. Now, a decade later, Samsung has shipped 4 times more foldable devices in 2021 than in 2020, exceeding the three-fold market growth that analysts expected. Consumer enthusiasm for […]
Hela Apparel Holdings prepares for upcoming IPO on 12th Jan
The initial public offering of Hela Apparel Holdings Limited (the holding company of the Hela Clothing Group) is set to open on the 12th of January 2022. The IPO has gathered significant interest from institutions, high net-worth individuals and retail investors. Hela Apparel Holdings Limited is offering 267,108,998 ordinary voting shares to the public at […]
SriLankan Airlines reports a net Profit in December 2021
SriLankan Airlines reports a Company Profit of USD 9.25 million and a Group Profit of USD 10.66 million for December 2021, which is the first profitable month for the Airline since the onset of the Pandemic in early 2020. The revenues are up by almost 200% compared with the same period last year and has […]
ADB is ready to provide funds to restructure several SOEs in Sri Lanka, VP informs President
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President Shixin Chen stated that the Bank is ready to provide funds to restructure several state-owned enterprises. Vice President Chen made these remarks when he met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, today (10). He further said that the Bank will support the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector […]
Reduction of gold holdings part of reserve management, clarifies Central Bank
Sri Lanka’s Central Bank says that the changes in the composition of official reserves are in accordance with the current reserve management needs and priorities, considering all aspects of the reserve management requirements. Releasing a statement, the bank said that the share of gold holdings in the reserve may change from time to time, reflecting […]
Opinion: Diversification vital for the long-term stability of the RPCs
Should optimise assets, not limit themselves to being solely agriculture businesses By Bhathiya Bulumulla Over the past three decades, the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) have established themselves as a critical stakeholder of Sri Lanka’s plantation industry. The RPCs were formed in 1992, primarily with the intention of bringing in the private sector, to improve the […]
SriLankan partners with American Airlines for better connectivity across N America and Europe
SriLankan Airlines has announced that the Airline reestablished a codeshare arrangement with American Airlines in December 2021, which is expected to offer customers enhanced connectivity and travel options across North America and Europe. This strategic partnership would allow the placement of the SriLankan Airlines’ code on American Airlines’ flights to US cities Miami and New […]