Category: Economy and Markets
ICRA Lanka assigns BBB+ rating with stable outlook to Dunamis Capital
Sep 22, 2015 (LBO) – ICRA Lanka Limited has assigned the Issuer rating of BBB+ with a stable outlook to Dunamis Capital. ICRA Lanka has also assigned the [SL]BBB+ (pronounced SL Triple B plus) rating to the existing LKR 1,000 Mn Senior Unsecured Redeemable Debenture programme and the proposed LKR 1,000 Mn Senior Unsecured Redeemable […]
Sri Lanka and Vietnam shares highest corporation foreign debt in Asia: ADB
Sep 22, 2015 (LBO) –Corporations in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam have the highest share of foreign currency debt in developing Asia, the Asian Development Bank said in a report.“Firms in the energy sector tend to have a substantial portion of their borrowings in foreign currency,” ADB said in its report. “Typically, the corporations that […]
Asian stocks rebound following gains in US and Europe
Sep 22, 2015 (LBO) – Asian indices rebounded after heavy losses Monday following gains made in Wall Street as well as European stocks, foreign media reports said. Chinese markets opened higher, with the Shanghai Composite up 0.88 percent to 3,184 points while Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng index gained 0.77 percent. Korea’s benchmark Kospi […]
Monetary Policy should focus on Price Stability: IMF Study
Sep 21, 2015 (LBO) – Monetary policy should stick to its core mandate of price stability, and should deviate from its traditional role only if the benefits to the economy outweigh the costs, a new IMF study showed. Based on current knowledge, the case for using monetary policy to contain risks to financial stability—commonly referred to […]
Sri Lanka stocks close down 0.05-pct: Low investor activity
Sep 21, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed down 0.05 percent on Monday with low investor activity and losses in index heavy stocks, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed down 3.50 points at 7,104.37 lower 0.05 percent. S&P SL20 closed 2.49 points lower at 3,883.22 down 0.06 percent. Turnover was […]
Debt report: Sri Lanka market watchful after IMF comments
Sept 21, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s debt market was watchful on Monday after International Monetary Fund remarks that the central bank could adopt a tightening bias. The bond market cramped up with thin trading, dealers said, as secondary yields of five year bonds ticked up slightly by 5 basis points. On Friday, the IMF […]
Sri Lanka’s LOLC Finance to get a new CEO
Sep 21, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s LOLC finance, a subsidy of Lanka Orix Leasing Company appointed Ashan Nissanka as its chief executive, the company said in a stock exchange filing.He will be taking the new office from 15th October this year.Nissanka has a masters degree from Edith Cowan University, Australia and is a member […]
Asian markets lower on Fed intransigence, Tsipras wins Greece election
Sept 21, 2015 (LBO) – Asian shares fell on Monday following weaker U.S. markets on Friday after the U.S. held interest rates unchanged citing global growth concerns. The Australian ASX 200 has plunged 2.5 percent, Shanghai is down 0.59 percent and the Hang Seng is 1.33 percent lower. This follows a fall in U.S. markets […]
IMF says Sri Lanka monetary policy appropriate, aim for tightening bias
Sept 20, 2015 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund believes Sri Lanka’s current monetary policy stance to be appropriate and the central bank should look to tighten monetary policy in the future, it said in a statement.“The mission found the overall financial system stable and current monetary stance appropriate – but recommended vigilance given rising […]
Expert view: Sri Lanka needs a global economic strategy, says Razeen Sally
A NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC STRATEGY FOR SRI LANKA Razeen Sally Sri Lanka desperately needs a new global economic strategy, and that is what the government has promised. But this is not just about dry economics: it must be part of a broader strategy for national renewal. Sri Lanka needs a decisive shift to markets and […]
Asiri Hospital to sell shares to Actis Investment, up stake in Central Hospital
Sep 19, 2015 (LBO) – Asiri Hospital Holdings will sell new shares to Actis Investment Holdings, a private equity firm, for 845.7 million rupees, the company said in a statement. The funds will be used to raise its stake in Central Hospital from 68 percent to 99.7 percent, the company said in a stock exchange […]
Sri Lanka economy to grow 5.5-pct through end 2015; inflation 3-pct: IMF
Sep 18, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economic growth is likely to continue in the range of 5 to 5.5 percent through end 2015, driven by strong growth in services and a recovery in agricultural output, the IMF mission said. IMF mission led by Todd Schneider who visited the island recently to conduct Post-Program Monitoring […]