Reporting on stock market trends, bond yields, commodity prices, and currency exchange rates, along with analysis of how these factors impact investors and businesses.
At Wednesday’s auction, Sri Lanka’s 3-month Treasury bill yield experienced a notable decline of 18 basis points, dropping to 9.43 percent, as per data from the state debt office. Similarly, other Treasury bill yields also showed marginal decreases. The 6-month yield fell by 13 basis points to 9.76 percent, while the 12-month yield decreased by
Sri Lanka’s Browns Investments has announced its agreement to acquire Lipton tea companies in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda from their UK and Netherlands-based parent companies. The purchase will be facilitated through UAE-based B Commodities ME FZE, a subsidiary of Browns Investments, as per the sales and purchase agreement (SPA) with Ekaterra Holdco UK Limited and
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s rupee concluded at 299.40/70 against the US dollar, a slight depreciation from the previous day’s rate of 298.00/50, according to dealers. Bond yields remained relatively stable during the trading session, with minor fluctuations observed across various maturity dates. Notably, the bond maturing on 15.12.2026 saw a marginal increase in yield, closing
The secondary bond market began the week on a positive note, witnessing robust transaction volumes and a continued decline in yields on May 6, 2024. Trading activity primarily focused on the short to medium end of the yield curve, particularly on tenors ranging from 2026 to 2032. Notably, the 15.12.26 maturity attracted significant interest, with
The Colombo stock market opened the new week on a negative note, witnessing declines in both indices by over 20 points, despite active investor participation leading to a healthy turnover. With turnovers reaching Rs. 2.1 billion and involving 134.5 million shares, heavyweights like JKH, HAYL, PABC, COMBN, VONE, and LIOC experienced price losses, contributing to
The Colombo Stock Exchange experienced a downturn on Monday, with the All Share Index declining by 0.23 percent and the S&P SL20 Index falling by 0.65 percent. Market turnover was lower compared to the previous week, totaling 2.1 billion. Analysts attributed the market movement to profit-taking activities ahead of upcoming elections and discussions on debt
According to the Financial Times, Sri Lanka is exploring innovative debt restructuring measures, including the introduction of GDP-tied payouts into bonds, in an effort to attract international investors back to emerging markets. The country and its bondholders have reportedly agreed in principle to replace its $13 billion debt in default with macro-linked bonds that would
Samsung Electronics, a leading South Korean semiconductor and smartphone giant, reported a significant tenfold increase in operating profits for the last quarter. This surge was primarily fueled by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which led to a rebound in the computer memory chip markets. The company’s operating profit for the January to March
Sri Lanka recently auctioned 99.7 billion rupees worth of bonds maturing in 2028, 2030, and 2032, as reported by the state debt office. The auction saw successful sales across the board, with 15 March 2028 bonds fetching an average yield of 11.72 percent for the offered 25 billion rupees. Additionally, all 30 billion rupees of
Fitch Ratings has affirmed UB Finance PLC’s National Long-Term Rating at ‘BB(lka)’ with a stable outlook. The rating reflects expectations of strong support from Union Bank of Colombo PLC (UB), which owns a significant stake in UB Finance. However, the rating is tempered by UB Finance’s relative size and its limited importance within the UB