Category: Economy and Markets
Oil mania worse than dot-com craze: report
June 14, 2008 (LBO) – The current oil bubble which has seen crude rising 700-pct since November 2001 is worse than the dot-com bubble which saw the Nasdaq composite index rising 640 percent before it crashed, a media report said. Food riots in poor countries have increasingly put pressure on the Federal Reserve to alter […]
Sri Lanka raises US$150mn dollars from international loan
June 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has raised 150 million US dollars from a loan put together by Standard Chartered Bank at 250 basis points above the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the government’s debt office said. At a current 6-month LIBOR rate of 3.13 percent the loan costs 5.69 percent a year with […]
Sri Lanka to get US$900mn from World Bank for regional growth
June 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka could get 900 million US dollars from the World Bank over the next three years to build infrastructure in lagging regions, improve health, education and safety nets, the multilateral lender said. The World Bank’s executive directors had endorsed a country assistance strategy (CAS) covering the period from July […]
Pakistan inflation caused by money printing for budget: finance minister
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Unprecedented borrowings from the central bank or ‘money printing’ to finance subsidies have caused inflation in Pakistan to go to a historic high, the country’s finance minister has said. Finance minister Naveed Qamar told Pakistan’s parliament that large subsidies not financed in the original budget had been given by the […]
Sri Lanka stocks buffeted by inflation
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks dropped 0.60 percent Thursday with brokers forecasting the slide to continue owing to raging inflation, high interest rates and a slowdown in the economy.The All Share Price Index fell 0.60 percent (14.94 points) to end at 2,459.99 while the more liquid Milanka was down 0.90 percent (26.84 […]
EU says Sri Lanka should improve rights record, media freedom
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – The European Union urged Sri Lanka to improve its human rights record and treatment of journalists as the country is set to re-apply for a trade concession extension later in the year. The EU was also helping build roads and do reconstruction but work was hampered due to a monopoly […]
Sri Lanka blocks rice exports
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has slapped a minimum export price floor of 100,000 rupees (923 dollars) per metric tonne to block rice exports, information minister Anura Yapa said. World rice prices, which peaked in April, have since moderated. Global commodity prices have been booming amidst money printing in reserve currency countries, especially […]
Sri Lanka stocks slip further, investors get ready for Janashakthi offer
June 11, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks slipped further on dampened sentiment with investors selling shares to raise funds for a forthcoming public offer by Janashakthi Insurance. The All Share Price Index fell 0.58 percent (14.32 points) to end at 2,474.93 while the more liquid Milanka was down 0.35 percent (10.45 points) to end […]
Sri Lanka treasury bills rates unchanged
June 11, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka sold 3.3 billion rupees of 6 and 12 month bills with the yields unchanged from last week, the government’s debt office said after Wednesday’s auction.The government did not offer 3-month bills.The 6-month yield was unchanged at 18.06 percent with the government selling 2.4 billion rupees worth bills. The […]
Sri Lanka focuses on education to combat child labour
June 11, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will mark the World Day Against Child Labour this year on June 12 Thursday with activities to raise awareness about this year’s theme that education is the right response to child labour, the International Labour Organisation said. The ILO has estimated that some 165 million children between the […]
Sri Lanka Hayleys group stake changes hands
June 10, 2008 (LBO) – A six percent stake in Sri Lanka’s Hayleys group owned by Carson and Cumberbatch controlled companies was bought by businessman Dhammika Perera on the Colombo stock exchange Tuesday, brokers said. The Ceylon Investments Company sold a stake in Hayleys amounting to 1,822,632 shares while Ceylon Guardian Investment Trust sold 2,164,358 […]
Sri Lankan shares slip further
June 09, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended weaker Monday on thin trading as weak sentiment continued with investors worried about high inflation and interest rates and lower company earnings, brokers said. Price losers outnumbered gainers 76 to 39, Bartleet Mallory Stockbrokers said.The All Share Price Index lost 0.28 percent (6.94 points) to end […]