Category: Money

Oct 29, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka said it will give a tax refund to private sector retirees if they continue to keep their money in government securities after they retire and withdraw money from a state-controlled fund. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 Under […]

Oct 27, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s official foreign reserves have fallen to 2.6 billion US dollars in late October from 3.1 billion dollars at the end of September 2008, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. Sri Lanka’s balance of payments problem this year seems to have been triggered by the withdrawal of foreign money […]

MEXICO CITY, October 22, 2008 (AFP) – Mexico’s peso changed hands at 13.74 to the dollar at the end of trading Wednesday, a new record low, despite billions of dollars injected onto the market by the central bank in recent weeks. The peso closed Tuesday at 13.13 to the dollar. Mexico’s central bank began selling […]

Oct 10, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank is intervening in forex markets to maintain stability and the monetary authority has bought more dollars than it sold this year, Governor Nivard Cabraal said amidst concerns that the rupee is under pressure. “Our intervention is still on the positive side,” Cabraal said.“We have intervened to […]

Oct 02, 2008 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka rupee which opened at 108.20/35 against the greenback gained ground amid official intervention, with a state bank which usually acts for the central bank selling dollars at 108.00 rupees, dealers said. Meanwhile money markets remained tight with the overnight call rates at 19.00/19.50 percent levels and market […]

Sept 30, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank rejected an entire Treasury Bill auction on Tuesday bringing back memories of dark days in June 2007 when two auctions were absorbed by the central bank, and the country was plunged into a currency crisis soon after. The central bank was however in the market later […]

Sept 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s overnight money rates spiked to 18.75 percent and banks borrowed at a penal 19 percent from the central bank in a day that saw turmoil in global markets and stocks plunged 2.5 percent. A popular bond among foreign investors maturing in April 2012, traded close to 17.95/18.05 levels, […]

Sept 10, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s 12-month treasury bill yield fell 16 basis points to an average of 18.34 percent and 6-month bills fell 30 basis points to 17.45 percent at Wednesday’s auction, the government’s debt office said. The debt office which is a unit of the central bank said 8,000 million rupees of […]

Aug 06, 2008 (LBO) – A veteran fixed income specialist says Sri Lanka’s debt market has still to show its full potential though it is 15 years since the first commercial paper was issued in the island. The first commercial paper was issued by John Keells Holdings and Aitken Spence, with a guarantee from state-run […]

Aug 05, 2008 (LBO) – The sale of a 5.0 percent stake in Sri Lanka’s land-rich Hunters has boosted the stakes of activist minority shareholders who have been battling the management over corporate governance issues, dealers said. The Carsons group, which held a 5 percent stake, sold out its 257,000 shares, and the Kuwaiti Al […]

July 09, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has rejected bids for 12-month treasuries at an auction Wednesday and sold 3.6 billion rupees out of 8 billion rupees of maturing bills, the government’s debt office said. Last Wednesday 6-month bills edged up 08 basis points, and 12-month bills 7 basis points. Yields of 3-month bills were […]