Single party owns 95 pct of govt securities available to foreign investors

Dec 01, 2015 (LBO) – A single foreign party owns 95 percent of Sri Lanka’s government securities available to foreign investors, raising questions about risk-management practices of the Central Bank.Funds of Franklin Templeton held around 290 billion rupees in government securities, out of 304 billion rupees of securities available to foreign investors, according to published […]

Sri Lanka’s CIC sells Chemifix trademark for Rs345mn

Nov 30, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s CIC Holdings, who have investments from agriculture to paints said it has sold its Chemifix trademark and other brands associated with its adhesives business along with technical and commercial knowhow to Pidilite Lanka (Pvt) Ltd for 345 million rupees. In a stock exchange filling the company said that they […]

Sri Lanka stocks close down 0.75-pct: Near eight month low

Nov 30, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed down at 0.75 percent on Monday for a fourth consecutive day, recording the highest intra-day drop since September and closed at nearly eight month low, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed down 52.26 points at 6,909.15 down 0.75 percent. S&P SL20 closed […]

Colombo inflation accelerates to 3.1-pct in November

Nov 30, 2015 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo rose 3.1 percent in November 2015 from a year earlier, up from 1.7 percent in October with the inflation index rising 1.4 percent in the month, the state statistics office said. Year on year inflation of Food Group has increased from 2.7 percent […]

Sri Lanka’s Nawaloka Holdings enters the FMCG sector

Nov 30,2015 (LBO) – Nawaloka Holdings, a diversified conglomerate in Sri Lanka, entered the FMCG sector through its recent acquisition of East West Marketing (EWM), the company said in a statement. “Nawaloka has always been associated with quality. We have proven this over and over again in the past 70 years. And with the recent […]

Sri Lanka’s continued high fiscal deficits are credit negative: Moody’s

Nov 30, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s fiscal consolidation would further delay if the government increases spending on education, health and infrastructure and add to the government’s already high debt, a credit negative, Moody’s credit out look said. However, if the perception of greater openness to foreign direct investment translates into actual increases in investment, […]

“Serious concerns” in Sri Lanka budget 2016: Former President

Nov 30, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapakse in a recent speech said that the new government’s maiden budget seeks to make certain radical changes which raise serious concerns. Rajapakse said that the gross fiscal irresponsibility displayed in the mini-budget earlier this year has continued in this budget as well and went […]

Mobitel considers strategic acquisition of local operator

Nov 28, 2015 (LBO) – Mobitel, a fully-owned unit of listed Sri Lanka Telecom, said it is considering a strategic acquisition of a local operator and denies reports that the company intends to pay over and above the value of the target entity. “Mobitel denies the assumptions and opinions made on the subject that Mobitel is […]

Stocks: Three reasons Euro area stocks are compelling

By Steve Brice The volatility in recent months shattered the relative calm that had prevailed in global financial markets for nearly four years. Almost all major equity markets corrected more than 10 per cent during the summer and many emerging markets entered a bear market. October’s rebound came as welcome relief, helping make up most […]

China stocks fall 5.4 pct on brokerage probes

Nov 27, 2015 (LBO) – China equities closed down 5.4 percent on Friday on the back of investigations by China’s securities regulatory body into brokerages for breaking regulations.The Shanghai Composite closed 5.48 percent lower. Chinese brokerages plunged with Citic Securities, Founder Securities, and China Merchants closing 10.1, 10, and 9.98 percent lower on news of […]

Sri Lanka removes casino entrance fee, but taxes tightened

Nov 27, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to remove the casino entrance fee imposed in the last budget and plans to increase the annual levy imposed on the business of gaming, other than rujino, to 400 million rupees. “I also propose to amend the Finance Act to make directors and shareholders personally liable for […]

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