Category: Economy and Markets
Senkadagala Finance retains BBB+(lka) rating from Fitch
August 30, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Senkadagala Finance Company Ltd retained its ‘BBB+(lka)’ rating from Fitch Ratings Lanka, the agency said Wednesday. The rating carries a ‘stable’ outlook and Fitch said they have also retained the same rating for Senkadagala’s four-year debenture ending in 2009. The rating reflects the family owned company’s good asset […]
DFCC Bank taps debt market for funds
August 30, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank plans to raise up to two billion rupees in debt capital to meet its long term credit expansion. The privately placed issue carries an AA-(lka) rating from Fitch Ratings Lanka with tenures ranging from five to 10 years. The unsecured subordinated redeemable debenture issue will be […]
Commercial Leasing Company secures A-(lka) rating
August 30, 2006 (LBO) – Commercial Leasing Company Ltd’s senior debt has been rated A-(lka) by Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd, the agency said Wednesday. The rating outlook is ‘stable’, the agency said adding that it also rides on the strength of company’s key shareholders: • Commercial Bank – rated AA+(lka) • Chemanex Ltd • Singer […]
Deutsche Bank and Central bank respond to story on central bank independence
The Central Bank’s Senior Deputy Governor and the Deutsche Bank Head of Communications to the Asia Pacific Region have responded to our story headlined ‘Prudential Norms’ on August 27 on central bank independence. We can but echo the words of Marriner Eccles, a governor on the Federal Reserve board, in his congressional testimony on January […]
Sri Lankan rupee strengthens, 3-year bond yields rise sharply
August 29, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lankan rupee firmed up against the U.S. dollar Tuesday, while share prices dipped as investors hunted for market leads, brokers said. Colombo’s benchmark All Share Price Index shed 2.81 points or 0.13 percent to 2,141.98, while the liquid Milanka Price Index, which tracks 25 stocks, slipped 10.40 points or […]
Aitken Spence floats debenture to pay off loans
August 28, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence & Co Ltd secured a AA(lka) rating for its upcoming 500 million debenture, but Fitch Rating Lanka expressed concerns on the group’s exposure to the monopoly state power distributor and a worsening ethnic conflict. The bluechip conglomerate is tapping the corporate debt market with a 500 […]
Independent central bank needed for stable cost of living in Sri Lanka: economist
August 27, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should have an independent central bank which can conduct prudent monetary policy in order to have low inflation, a prominent European economist said. “You know richer people, who can get the help of good accountants good advisors can normally avoid the biggest suffering even from inflation,” says Deutche […]
Sri Lankan rupee extends gains; foreign interest boost stocks
August 24, 2006 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan rupee firmed up against the U.S. dollar Thursday, while share prices rose on foreign investors’ interest in selected bluechip stocks, dealers said. The broader All Share Price index inched up 0.48 percent to 2,138.05, while the liquid Milanka Price Index added 0.77 percent to 2,726.44 on sales […]
Treasury bond yields take a leap
August 21, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s borrowing costs shot up Monday, when the Central Bank sold three and four year treasury bonds at higher yields.The bank offered 1.5 billion rupees worth of 4-year bonds and 1.0 billion rupees worth of 5-year bonds to the market, but accepted only 500 million rupees worth of bids […]
Sri Lanka economy booms despite bombs and bloodshed
COLOMBO, Aug 18, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka is expected to record its highest annual economic growth in 28 years despite escalating violence in the decades-old separatist conflict, analysts said. Security has deteriorated since December with aerial bombings, artillery attacks, suicide bombings and fierce face-to-face confrontations that have officially claimed at least 1,500 lives. However, […]
Central bank holds Sri Lanka policy rates steady in August
August 16 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank said Wednesday it was holding rates steady, but warned that fuel subsidies were putting pressure on the balance of payments. The rate setting monetary board had decided not to raise policy interest rates but rely on open market operations to slow money supply growth, the central bank’s […]
’s US$ 5 bn investment pipeline held up due to red tape
August 14 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is sitting on a 5 billion dollar investment pipeline for development projects, held up due to red tape and other delays, the country’s Treasury Secretary said Monday. Sri Lanka is also in talks with lending agencies to promote investment guarantees to encourage companies to spend their dollars in local […]