Category: Money

July 24, 2012 (LBO) – It is difficult to say whether Sri Lanka’s rupee is ‘overvalued’ and any specific level no longer matters because the exchange rate is now flexible, an International Monetary Fund’s official said. “There are models economists run to measure overvaluation of a currency,” IMF’s resident representative Koshy Mathai said. “Those models […]

July 23, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rupee rose to 130. 90/131.05 levels against the US dollar Monday extending earlier gains with inflows as monetary policy remained in favour of a stronger rupee, dealers said. Some inflows to bond markets were also not bought the monetary authority helping keep upward pressure on a rupee peg. […]

July 20, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rupee made steep gains against the US dollar rising as much as 131. 50/80 in late morning trade, after opening around 132. 70/133.00 levels ahead of approval of proceeds from a bond sale. The International Monetary Fund’s executive board is expected to complete the last review of a […]

July 16, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cash markets were tight Monday with overnight gilt backed money quoted at 9. 55/65 percent very close to the Central Bank’s policy rate despite some excess liquidity, and the rupee was steady against the US dollar, dealers said. The rupee opened somewhat wide at 133.70/90 to the US […]

July 06, 2012 (LBO) – Excess liquidity in Sri Lanka’s interbank markets have topped 20 billion rupee over the past three days easing tighter monetary conditions that prevailed a week earlier, official data show. If not the Central Bank will have to sell the collected dollars to prevent the exchange from being depreciated by the […]

June 28, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rupee rose as much as 132.50 in intra-day trading on Thursday amid state bank selling before settling around 132.80/133.00 after a weak start, dealer said. Analysts however have urged the central bank not to allow excess liquidity to remain in the system as unsterilized purchases will eventually create […]

June 22, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s currency is expected to firm up later this year, while treasury yields could creep up on fiscal slippages, a report said, as the central bank looks for ways to tighten monetary policy. The Sri Lankan rupee has fallen by some 17 percent against the US dollar since the […]

June 20, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s public debt office is seeking bids to raise 150 million dollars via a bond issue, a public notice said. Those eligible to subscribe include Sri Lankan with dual citizens, foreign nationals and non-resident Sri Lankans, the Public Debt Department of the Central Bank of Sir Lanka said Wednesday. […]

June 19, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s money markets were tight Tuesday with gilt backed repos quoted at 9. 50/70 percent around the policy interest rate of 9.75 percent, for over a week, two months after the key rate was raised, official data showed. High short term rates discourage the holding of dollars by exporters […]

June 12, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves rose to 5,835 million US dollars in April from 5,730 million US dollars in March, which was equal to about 3.3 months of imports, the Central Bank said. Though reserves are measured in months of imports, when a central bank sells foreign exchange to defend an […]

June 12, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rupee was quoted as low as 133.60/90 to the US dollar in intra-day spot trade Tuesday and recovered following some selling by a state bank, dealers said as emerging data showed a gradual contraction in external trade. Last year import rose to unsustainable levels as the Central Bank […]

May 29, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rupee was quoted weaker around 131. 40/50 to the US dollar in the spot market Tuesday while bond yields were flat from a day earlier, dealers said. The rupee has weakened from around 129 rupees to current levels the US dollar over the past three weeks as rupee […]