Category: Banking and Finance

Feb 23, 2011 (LBO) – Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL), a unit of state-run Bank of Ceylon said group profits for December 2010 rose 243 percent on wider interest margins and higher non-operating incomes. MBSL, which also has a finance company, an insurer and a savings bank under its wing said group revenues rose […]

Feb 22, 2011 (LBO) – United Motors, local agents in Sri Lanka for brand new Mitsubishi vehicles, has sold its subsidiary Orient Financial Services Corporation for 230 million rupees, a stock exchange filing said. The buyer of the unit, which does vehicle leasing and contract hire business, was People’s Venture Investment Company, part of the […]

Feb 21, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Nations Trust Bank’s (NTB) net profit for the 2010 financial year rose 58 percent to just over a billion rupees from a year ago as interest margins grew, a stock exchange filing said. Diluted earnings per share for the financial year ending December 31, 2010 were 5. 28 […]

Feb 14, 2011 (LBO) – The December 2010 quarter net profit at Sri Lanka’s Sampath Bank almost doubled to 1.4 billion rupees from a year ago with basic earnings per share up 96 percent to 8.84 rupees, a stock exchange filing said. Interest income fell 9.8 percent to 4.7 billion rupees and interest expenses fell […]

Feb 14, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s registered finance companies (RFCs) are gradually recovering from the weakened economic climate that prevailed in 2008 and 2009, a ratings report said. RAM Ratings (Lanka) said the sector has benefitted from falling interest rates which has increased margins due to deposit rates falling faster than rates on loans. […]

Feb 10, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Finance, a regulated finance firm said net profits for the December 2011 quarter rose 72 percent to 472 million rupees as margins widened amid falling rates. For the nine months to December Central Finance reported profits of 1.19 billion rupees, up 69 percent giving earnings per share […]

Feb 10, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Distilleries Group has struck a deal to sell a controlling stake in the island’s pioneering unit trust management company, National Asset Management Ltd or NAMAL, a statement said. Distilleries subsidiary Milford Holdings is expected to earn 455 million rupees for the 70 percent stake in the mutual fund. […]

Feb 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Union Bank which is going for an initial public offer selling 15 million shares at 25 rupees after its capital was boosted by several private investors including Malaysia’s Genting group, officials said. Officials say unaudited results for the full year indicate a profit of 148 million rupees. Next […]

Feb 09, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Seylan Bank has appointed Tilan Wijeyesekera an industry veteran with experience in financial services and consumer goods, to head its marketing and business development. Wijeyesekera has been at Lanka Milk Foods as general manager – marketing, head of marketing at Janashakthi Insurance, marketing business development manager at Elephant […]

Feb 03, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s SMB Leasing (SMBL) and Lanka Ashok Leyland (LAL) have begun importing luxury tourist coaches amid a boom in tourist arrivals and a shortage of vehicles, a statement said. Leasing facilities have been provided by SMBL to the buyer of the first three imported luxury LAL tourist coaches. The […]

Feb 03, 2011 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka has upgraded Vallibel Finance’s (VFL) rating to ‘BB-(lka)’ from ‘B+(lka)’ with a stable outlook, a statement said. “The upgrade of VFL’s rating reflects sustained improvements in its credit metrics – in particular its asset quality, profitability and capitalisation,” Fitch said. It also reflects VFL’s increased scale of […]

Feb 03, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s The Finance Company, being restructured under regulatory supervision, has managed to reduce losses in the December 2010 quarter but interest costs are still higher than income, a stock exchange filing showed. Net interest income fell 42 percent to 159.3 million rupees, with interest income down 29.6 percent to […]