Category: Economy and Markets
Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.4-pct
Oct 30, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks closed 0.47 percent higher helped by tobacco and consumer goods stocks and strong foreign purchasing, brokers said. Touchwood ended up 20 cents to 4.10 rupees. PCH Holdings closed flat at 1.70 rupees and PC House closed flat at 80 cents. NDB Bank closed flat at 158.00 rupees […]
‘s Sampath Bank to sell Rs5.0bn in debt
Oct 31, 2013 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings said a 3.0 billion rupees subordinated debt offer of Sri Lanka’s Nations Trust Bank has been given an expected ‘A-(lka)’ rating. SB could be downgraded if there is an increase in risk appetite, for instance through aggressive lending or weakening of underwriting standards that can put pressure on […]
Sri Lanka inflation at 6.7-pct in October
Oct 31, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s consumer prices rose 6.7 percent in October 2013 from a year earlier, accelerating from 6.2 percent in September, the state statistics office said. Sri Lanka’s Colombo Consumer Price Index rose 0.2 percent in the month to 176.1 points in the month. Sri Lanka’s inflation has been stable for […]
Sri Lanka Treasuries yields plunge
Oct 30, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasuries yields dropped sharply at Wednesday’s auction with the 12-month yield falling 19 basis points to 9.83 percent, data from the state debt office showed.The debt office which offered 10 billion rupees in bills for roll-over said 20 billion rupees worth bid were accepted from the market. The […]
Sri Lanka hotels profits may be squeezed by rising labour costs
Oct 30, 2013 (LBO) – Shortfalls of labour amid fast growth in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector may squeeze profits and undermine industry attempts to boost product quality, an official said.“We will seriously need to see how we can halt the current shortage of staff,” Jayantissa Kehelpannala, president of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka […]
Sri Lanka stocks closed down 0.3-pct, rupee weaker
Oct 29, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks closed 0.38 percent lower amidst speculative trades and the rupee weakened amid excess rupee liquidity in the banking system. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 22.44 points lower at 5,906.53, down 0.38 percent, after reaching an intra-day high of 5,931.95. The S&P SL20 closed 1.14 […]
Sri Lanka makes more reforms but slips in Doing Business ranking
Oct 29, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka made the most changes in South Asia making it easier to do business, but the country slipped to 85 from 81 in a global ranking compiled by the World Bank group as several other nations raced ahead.The World Bank group’s ‘Doing Business 2014’ report said Sri Lanka was […]
Sri Lanka stocks down 0.33-pct, rupee weaker
Oct 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks closed down 0.33 percent amidst heavy foreign selling and the rupee weakened against the US dollar on importer demand, brokers and dealers said. The benchmark Colombo All Share Price Index closed 19.78 points lower at 5,928.97, down 0.33 percent, after peaking at an intraday high of 5,953.39. […]
Sri Lanka has to cut budget deficit, boost rule of law, for growth: economists
Oct 26, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has to reduce its budget deficit to boost domestic savings and improve rule of law to create a better environment for investment, economists said.Reduction of budget deficits will increase domestic savings, reducing the dependency on foreign borrowings for investments, A V de S Indraratne, chairman of Sri Lanka […]
‘s new trunk road
COLOMBO, October 24, 2013 (AFP) – Twenty-four elephants lined up for a race Thursday on Sri Lanka’s newest expressway, but thousands of spectators were left disappointed when organisers scrapped the event due to safety concerns. The animals and jockeys were jostling at the start line on the Chinese-built 25.8-kilometre (16 mile) four-lane expressway from the […]
Sri Lanka budget carrier to operate Boeing 737s from 2015
Oct 25, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run Mihin Air, will operate two Boeing 737-800 aircraft from 2015, chief executive officer Kapila Chandrasena said. The two aircraft is being leased from Air Lease Corporation. Chandrasena said the aircraft are expected to be delivered in June and July 2015. Mihin Lanka co-ordinates its operations with full-service […]
Sri Lanka DFCC says 9.6-pct dollar bond profitable
Oct 25, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank said 100 million US dollars from a 5-year bond sale at 9.6 percent was still profitable, and compared ‘very favourably’ with the cost of raising rupee funds.DFCC said it will use the 100 million US dollars to retire existing borrowings, on-lend to infrastructure development and key […]