Category: Banking and Finance

July 07, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s commercial banks are likely to experience a slowdown in growth and profitability pressures from fresh asset quality problems, Fitch Ratings said. The rating agency said that it believes that if the policy environment improves, the banks’ balance sheets will be able to absorb the stress over the next […]

July 5, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s registered finance companies will have to be listed by June 30, 2011 as part of a prudential regulation framework promoted by the Central Bank, a media report said.The Sunday Island newspaper quoted Central Bank governor Nivard Cabraal as saying that out of 34 registered finance companies only eight […]

July 05, 2009 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka said it has confirmed the Commercial Leasing Company (CLC) national rating at ‘A-(lka)’, with a stable outlook. Ficth said in a statement CLC’s rating reflects its fairly strong financial profile, good asset quality and implied support assumed to be available from its parent, Lanka ORIX Leasing Company […]

July 4, 2009 (LBO) – W A Wijewardena, widely regarded as one of the top economists the country has ever produced, retired from his post as deputy governor of Sri Lanka’s central bank Friday, after a 36 year career in public service. He has also chaired other task forces including one on the adoption of […]

July 03, 2009 (LBO) – HSBC’s Sri Lanka unit is looking to finance a private container port to be built as part of an expansion of Colombo port, and post-war reconstruction projects in the island, a top official said. “We are looking to support investors bidding for the Colombo port expansion,” Nick Nicolaou, head of […]

July 01, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Fitch Ratings said it has confirmed the ‘AA-(lka)’ national long-term rating of Sampath Bank, as well as its individual and support ratings at ‘D/E’ and ‘5’, with a stable outlook. Furthermore, the bank’s credit decisions became more centralised since early-2009, and its recoveries were strengthened by reallocating experienced […]

July 01, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Fitch Ratings Lanka said it upgraded Seylan Merchant Leasing (SML) national long-term rating to ‘BBB-(lka)’ from ‘BB +(lka)’ on the acquisition of a 84.5 percent stake by People’s Leasing Company (PLC). PLC’s purchase consideration amounted to 441.4 million rupees for the 84.5 percent stake in SML and was […]

July 01, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s registered finance companies would be required to list on the Colombo Stock Exchange as part of an enhanced regulatory framework of the financial sector, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. Cabraal said the Securities and Exchange Commission, Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board, the Institute of […]

June 29, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Sampath Bank said it was merging a fully owned subsidiary dealing in government securities. Samapth Surakum Limited is a primary dealer in government securities licensed by the Central Bank. A series of separate primary dealers were set up a few years ago under a Central Bank to intensify […]

June 29, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) may take up the bulk of risk capital in bailing out Seylan Bank, while state-run Bank of Ceylon and National Savings Bank (NSB) may take smaller stakes, a media report said.SLIC was recently returned to state ownership and management following a court order, and a […]

June 29, 2009 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka said it has confirmed the national long-term rating of National Development Bank (NDB) at ‘AA(lka)’ with a stable outlook. The agency has also confirmed NDB’s subordinated debentures at ‘AA-(lka)’, Fitch said in a statement. NDB’s ratings are reflective of its continued strong financial profile relative to its […]

June 27, 2009 (LBO) – Fitch Sri Lanka has upgraded state-run People’s Bank’s (PB) long term rating by one notch to ‘A(lka)’ from ‘A-(lka)’ and changed its outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘positive’ at the new level, after reaching minimum capital requirements. The achievement of capital adequacy ratios came form a 1.5 billion rupees capita injection […]