Category: Banking and Finance

June 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s National Development Bank said group net profit for the March quarter rose 16 percent to 349 million rupees from a year ago with loan growth slow but with a tight control on bad loans. Total group income went up 45 percent to three billion rupees in the quarter […]

May 30, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Housing Development and Finance Corporation’s (HDFC’s) profits fel 90 percent in the March quarter amid rising interest expenses and a fall in other income, the group’s interim results showed. The group after tax profit dropped to 11.38 million rupees in the quarter ended March 2008, from a previous […]

May 27, 2008 (LBO) – Financial regulators should take early preventive action and anticipate trouble spots and Sri Lanka’s banks should keep an eye on apparel firms to manage possible future risks, the island’s central bank governor said. “If necessary policy interventions are done ahead of time, interventions requiring cash could be avoided,” Cabraal said. […]

May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Samapath Bank group net profits for the March 2008 quarter fell 24.2 percent amidst rising interest costs while revenue grew 23.2 percent, results filed with the Colombo Stock Exchange said. Group gross assets were up 0.4 percent to 137.9 billion rupees. Group net profit after tax grew to […]

May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Seylan Bank March quarter profits fell 36 percent to 135 million rupees amid flat loan growth as high interest rates made it difficult for companies and individuals to borrow. The bank’s interest income grew 31 percent to almost five billion rupees but interest costs rose 48 percent to […]

May 24, 2008 (LBO) – Fitch Sri Lanka has confirmed a ‘BBB-(lka)’ rating of Ceylease Financial Services (CFSL), a unit of state-run Bank of Ceylon, with a ‘stable’ outlook but said interest costs and bad loans were rising. Fitch says the comparatively high net NPL to equity ratios are partly due to the company’s relatively […]

May 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s People’s Leasing is getting 10 million US dollars from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which it can start lending within the next 30 days, a top official said. People’s Leasing inked a deal Friday with the ADB to lend to the small and medium enterprises in the island. […]

May 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Commercial Bank says it will pay 12 percent interest a year on a savings account, if it is opened with a minimum balance of 50,000 rupees. Other than maintaining a minimum balance of 50,000 rupees, the account, branded ‘Commercial Bank Super Saver’ has no restrictions on the number […]

May 17, 2008 (LBO) – Fitch Sri Lanka has placed the ‘A-(lka)’ rated Commercial Leasing Company on credit watch after Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC) gained 67 percent control of the firm. CLC was started in 1988 by Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Chemanex Limited, and Singer (Sri Lanka) Limited (‘A+(lka)’/Negative). It has a network […]

May 16, 2008 (LBO) – A mortgage backed security issued by Sri Lanka’s HDFC Bank retained its enhanced credit, three notches higher than the issuer, as Fitch Ratings Lanka confirmed an ‘AA-(lka)’ rating on the securities. However, loans overdue for 6-months increased marginally to 2.4 percent from 2.0 percent and defaulted loans over 12 months […]

May 15, 2008 (LBO) – RAM Ratings has confirmed Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka’s (MBSL) long-term local rating of AA- with a stable outlook, saying the rating is supported by state-run Bank of Ceylon, its parent. RAM also confirmed MBSL’s short term rating of P1 and the AA rating assigned to unlisted debentures of 300 […]

May 15, 2008 (LBO) – Bartleet Finance, part of Sri Lanka’s Bartleet group, is considering setting up a branch in northern Jaffna and expanding in rural areas where officials say there is much potential. Managing director Susantha Fernando said the firm faced difficulties this year because of soaring interest rates but believes rates have now […]