Repair Job

Aug 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Colombo Dockyard said it is getting more business in repairing offshore support vessels for the oil industry and has dedicated two docks for the work.Company officials said profit margins are higher on ship repairs as it involves more value addition and less material than in building new vessels. […]

Bank Trends

Aug 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hatton National Bank (HNB) said group net profit shot up 76 percent to 996 million rupees in the June 2009 quarter from a year ago as interest margins improved but loan growth slowed. The balance sheet showed a steep 330 percent increase in holdings of government securities to […]

Good Quarter

Aug 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Pan Asia Banking Corporation (PABC) June quarter profits shot up 346 percent on strong net interest income and higher fee income despite rising bad loans, interim results showed. In the first six months of 2009, the banks performing loan book was up 12.2 percent to 10.66 billion rupees, […]

Sri Lanka in bid to push up hotel room rates

Aug 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to impose minimum room rates for hotels in and around the capital Colombo to push up prices following the end of a war which has made the country safer for tourists, government officials said. Bernard Goonetilleke, chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism, the tourism promotion agency, said the […]

Sugar price hits record high

LONDON, August 3, 2009 (AFP) – The price of sugar reached a record high here on Monday, aided by a weaker dollar amid more positive signs of economic recovery and the commodity’s weak supply situation, traders said.In London trade, white sugar for delivery in October reached 505.9 pounds a tonne — the highest level since […]

Pakistan bosses under fire after SLanka defeat

KARACHI, August 4, 2009 (AFP) – Former players Tuesday called for a major shake-up in Pakistani cricket after the national side lost the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka 3-0. Sri Lanka, who won the preceding three-Test series 2-0 to post their first home series win against Pakistan, crushed Pakistan by six wickets on Monday […]

Sri Lanka to conduct first nation-wide census after 30-years

August 4, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is getting ready to conduct its first nation-wide census, covering all 25 administrative districts for the first time in 30-years following the end of a decades long war, an official said.“The next census will be held in 2011, and we are now preparing for it, and we will […]

Sri Lankan stocks close down

Aug 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed down Monday as investors became defensive, hoping the market to pick-up in the medium term, brokers said. The benchmark Colombo All Share Price Index (ASPI) closed down 0.54 percent (13.55 points) to end at 2,512.15 Monday, while the Milanka index of liquid stocks lost 0.61 percent […]

Trade Links

Aug 03, 2009 (LBO) – A professional body representing Sri Lanka’s transport and logistics sector said it plans to get industry professionals together to lobby for better connectivity and less red tape. “With the end of 30 years of turmoil we’re now in a position to contribute significantly to develop many areas affected by war.” […]

Fresh Capital

Aug 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Seylan Bank said it plans to issue 86 million ordinary shares at 35 rupees each in a one-for-two public offering to existing shareholders and a private placement with two state-run financial institutions.The current stated capital of Seylan Bank is 2.5 billion rupees comprising of 43.56 million ordinary shares, […]

Slow Quarter

Aug 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank group said June 2009 quarter net profit fell 6.38 percent to 507.1 million rupees from a year ago owing to lower fee-based income, foreign exchange losses and weak returns from strategic investments. DFCC Group’s provisions for bad and doubtful debts had gone up 8.25 percent to […]

Sri Lanka Tata tea unit June net falls 37-pct

Aug 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Watawala Plantations said net profit in the June 2009 quarter fell 37 percent to 37 million rupees from a year ago with the bottom line buoyed by palm oil and retail marketing earnings. Sales rose three percent to 1.1 billion rupees in the period, the company, a unit […]

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