Category: Economy and Markets
Sri Lankan rupee steady in dull trade; stocks rise
Jan 26, 2017 (Reuters) – The Sri Lankan rupee was steady in thin trade on Thursday as dollar demand from importers was offset by selling of the U. S. currency by exporters, dealers said, a day after the central bank revised the spot reference rate by 10 cents to a record low. Rupee forwards were […]
Asia rises after Dow tops 20,000 for first time, dollar on defensive
TOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Asian stocks gained early on Thursday, cheered by the Dow Jones Industrial Average breaching past the 20,000-level threshold for the first time though concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist stance kept the dollar on the defensive. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tacked on 0.3 percent. […]
PTL Watch: Yields tick higher, more foreign selling
[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/PTL-Daily-Market-Report-25th-January-2017.pdf” title=”PTL Daily Market Report 25th January 2017″]
‘s Auditor General acted unprofessionally: Finance Minister
Jan 25, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake today accused the Auditor General of releasing a confidential report to COPE without his knowledge. On the 19th August 2016, the Finance Minister had requested a special report from the Auditor General under section 43 (2) of the Monetary Law Act, within a period […]
Sri Lanka Central Bank blocks taking out of Perpetual profits: Harsha
Jan 25, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has blocked Perpetual Treasuries from taking out the company profits for any purpose, Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva said on Tuesday. Speaking at the bond debate in Parliament, de Silva pointed out that the Central Bank Governor and the Monetary Board has acted in a […]
Sri Lankan shares hit near 10-mth closing low
Jan 24, 2017 (Reuters) – Sri Lankan stocks closed at their lowest in nearly 10 months on Tuesday, dragged down by banking and telecom shares, as concerns over rising interest rates and ongoing political instability weighed on sentiment. The Colombo stock index ended 0.45 percent lower at 6,134.41, its lowest close since April 4. “Not […]
Watch the West, Reach Out To The East: Stan Chart Economist
Jan 24, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should keep a keen eye on the developments in the West, the traditional export markets, but should reach out to the East for trade and investments, an economist said. Chief Economist of Standard Chartered Bank for Asia, David Mann was responding to LBO’s question on what should be Sri […]
Former Governor Mahendran “NOT” working at Ministry: Ravi
Jan 24, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister has denied reports that former Governor of the Central Bank, Arjun Mahendran is attached to his ministry or the Central Bank, a statement said. “The Ministry of Finance wishes to inform that Arjun Mahendran, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, is not working in […]
JVP calls Speaker to take over controversial bond investigations
Jan 24, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Marxist JVP today demanded that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya takes over the future course of action against the controversial bond issue under him. Speaking at the bond debate in Parliament, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized that they have no faith over the investigations of the government. “We propose […]
Sri Lankan rupee eases on importer dollar demand
Jan 24, 2017 (Reuters) – The Sri Lankan rupee eased on Tuesday as importer dollar demand outpaced mild greenback sales by exporters, while the market expects the downward pressure to continue until some steady foreign inflows come in, dealers said. Rupee forwards were active, with two-week forwards trading at 151.05/20 per dollar at 0615 GMT, […]
Technology and know-how essential for development: Hausmann
Jan 24, 2016 (LBO) – The guest lecture in Colombo recently by Prof. Ricardo Hausmann highlighted the importance of technology and know-how in fostering economic development, Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment said releasing a statement. Hausmann of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government visited Sri Lanka to follow-up on a programme to build capacity among […]
Dollar falls further in Asia amid trade jitters
SYDNEY, Jan 24 (Reuters) – The dollar hit the skids in Asia on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump’s focus on trade protectionism fuelled suspicions his administration might seek a competitive advantage through a weaker currency. The talk of trade wars favoured safe-haven Treasuries and the Japanese yen while subduing stocks, particularly as Asian […]