Category: Economy and Markets
Rare positive correlation between stocks and bonds in US, China
Aug 29, 2015 (LBO) – A rare positive correlation was seen between equities and bonds this week with China’s equities plunging and demand for 30-year US treasuries falling at the same time. On Tuesday and Wednesday, when US equity markets were tumbling, demand for 30-year US Treasury bonds fell, the opposite of what happens when […]
DFCC Vardhana Bank shareholders approve amalgamation with DFCC
Aug 28, 2015 (LBO) – Shareholders of DFCC Vardhana Bank and DFCC Bank have approved the proposed amalgamation of DFCC Bank with DFCC Vardhana Bank at an extraordinary general meeting held today.The amalgamation will be effective on 01 October 2015 and a payment of 52 rupees for every one ordinary voting share held in Vardhana Bank to […]
Sri Lanka’s Heladiv to go after Chinese and Indian markets
Aug 28, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s HVA foods, which exports ready to drink tea under its “Heladiv” brand, says the company plans to expand more in to Chinese and Indian markets with ready to drink teas to gain a strong foothold. “Whilst our Chinese operations have progressed to 55 tea cafes and outlets, further […]
Sri Lanka stocks close up 1-pct: JKH gains
Aug 28, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed up 1.06 percent on Friday for the third consecutive session despite foreign selling as the bargain hunters dominated the market activities as index heavy stocks made gains, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed up 89.08 points at 7,362.22 up 1.22 percent. S&P […]
Ceylon Printers to raise Rs30mn through rights issue
Aug 28, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stationery merchants and printing firm, Ceylon Printers, is to raise 30 million rupees by way of a rights issue, the company said in a stock exchange filing.Subject to the necessary approvals, the company is to issue 25 thousand shares at 1,200 rupees each in the ratio of 5 […]
Interview: Sri Lanka BOP pressured by consumer spending, external woes
Aug 28, 2015 (LBO) – Post-war stimulus packages by Sri Lanka’s government have pushed up consumption demand which is now having an adverse impact on the trade deficit and balance of payments. This is one reason for the negative BOP position so far this year, Shiran Fernando at Frontier Research said. “We are in consumption […]
ADB to triple Sri Lanka education sector lending to USD1bn
Aug 28, 2015 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it will support Sri Lanka’s human capital development for the next five years though strengthening education to help the Indian Ocean Island to become a competitive economy.“Lending for education will be more than tripled to one billion US dollars for the next five years,” […]
Debt Report: Money market keeps close eye on CB T-bill holdings, interest rates pick up
Aug 27, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka money markets kept a close eye on treasury bill purchases by Sri Lanka’s central bank this week, as interest rates rose amid turbulence in global markets.The central bank’s holding of treasury bills increased to 92.4 billion rupees on Monday from around 69 billion earlier this month, which is […]
Sri Lanka not the only nice girl on the beach: Policy maker
Aug 27, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs to build goods and services which can be competitive in the global market and plug in to value chains to gain cost advantages in the path towards a competitive economic nation, economic legislator and newly elected member of parliament, Harsha de Silva said. “We are not the […]
Ceylon Asset Management replies to Fitch on income fund rating
Aug 27, August (LBO) – Ceylon Asset Management, commenting on the Fitch Rating press release which maintained the A (lka) credit quality rating of the Ceylon Income Fund on rating watch negative (RWN), says the LRA suspension by the SEC and the absence of an alternative process is outside the control of the fund. “The […]
Fitch Maintains Ceylon Income Fund on Rating Watch Negative
Aug 27, 2015 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has maintained the ‘(A(lka))’ national fund credit quality rating of the Ceylon Income Fund on a negative rating, a statement said. The full statement follows: Fitch Ratings has maintained the ‘(A(lka))’ National Fund Credit Quality Rating of the Ceylon Income Fund on Rating Watch Negative. The National Fund […]
US markets rally, appears to shake off China worries
Aug 27, 2015 (LBO) – US markets rallied on Wednesday appearing to shake off fears about China, but all eyes will be once again on the Shanghai Composite Index on Thursday. The S&P 500 recovered 3.9 percent and NASDAQ surged 4.2 percent after the Chinese market closed down 1.3 percent on Wednesday. Europe, however, bucked […]