Category: Economy and Markets
Sri Lanka central bank asks for currency note designs
Feb 25, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has called for public ideas to produce a new series of notes offering cash prizes for winning designs. The monetary authority has so far produced notes under 10 different themes from the time it was created soon after Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain. The first […]
Lanka Ratings re-branded as RAM Ratings Lanka
Feb 25, 2008 (LBO) – Credit rating agency Lanka Ratings was re-branded as RAM Ratings (Lanka) Limited following a reorganization of its Malaysian parent company RAM Holdings Berhad, Monday. RAM Holdings, an affiliate of the world’s largest ratings agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P), plans to expand regionally following the re-branding process. Suresh Menon, executive director […]
Sri Lankan retail investors play on mid-sized stocks
Feb 22, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed lower amid profit taking but retailers were selectively betting on mid sized stocks, brokers said. The All Share Price Index lost 6.18 points or 0.25 percent to end at 2,510.79 while the more liquid Milanka index was hardly changed at 3,163.75 with turnover being 270 million […]
Sri Lanka central bank says policy tight, credit to govt. at record low
Feb 21, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s money supply growth is slowing and credit to government was at a record low of 17 billion rupees, the Central Bank said in its monetary policy statement in January, promising tight policy ahead. The statement made no mention of policy rates, with the monetary authority no longer targeting […]
Sri Lanka treasuries yields fall sharply
Feb 19, 2008 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s 12-month Treasury bill yield fell 33 basis points to 19.10 percent while the popular three month bills fell 38 basis points to 18.59 percent at a an auction Tuesday, the government’s debt office said. The less liquid 6-month bills fell 27 basis points to 19.00 percent. The government […]
Sri Lankan plantations stocks sought after on earnings outlook
Feb 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended higher Monday driven by keen interest in plantations stocks by domestic retail investors anticipating higher earnings on the back of strong commodity prices, brokers said. In the bond market, all bids received at the auctions were rejected by the central bank. The All Share Price Index […]
Sri Lanka kicks off US$300mn syndicated loan
Feb 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has called for proposals from foreign banks to raise 300 million dollars from a syndicated loan aiming to close the deal by late March or April, officials and bankers said. The Central Bank, which manages the island’s public debt, will call a meeting of bankers later this week […]
Sri Lanka shares fall, high interest rates herald uncertainty
Feb 15, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended lower Friday with transactions in Royal Ceramics and HNB non-voting shares the main feature of the day but continuing high interest and inflation rates are seen dampening investor interest in stocks. The All Share Price Index lost 20.85 points or 0.83 percent to end at 2,485.05 […]
Sri Lanka, emerging Asia would gain from prudent monetary policy: S&P
Feb 15, 2008 (LBO) – Countries that resist pressure to ease monetary policy would make long term gains, the rating agency Standard and Poor’s said in a report on 11 Asian nations that showed Sri Lanka had the highest forecast inflation in 2008. “Some central banks will likely yield to calls to support growth and […]
Sri Lanka trade deficit stable in 2008, exports up in December
Feb 15, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit grew a mere 5.6 percent in 2007, and exports in December soared 22.7 percent to 863.4 million dollars, the Central Bank said. The trade balance grew to 3,560 million dollars in 2007 with exports growing 12.5 percent to 7.7 billion dollars, and imports growing 10.2 percent […]
Sri Lanka slams S&” outlook cut
Feb 15, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has slammed Standard and Poor’s (S&P) over an outlook cut saying the move was unwarranted, illogical, ill-advised, and without rational basis. “It is abundantly clear that S&P has chosen to overlook the many favourable factors and are, for reasons best known to them, suddenly discovering weaknesses […]
Sri Lanka tile shares rise on earnings outlook
Feb 14, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed virtually flat Thursday with investors chasing stocks of ceramic tile firms expected to report higher earnings on strong demand from the construction sector, brokers said. The All Share Price Index ended just one and a half points down at 2,505.90 while the more liquid Milanka index […]