More To Exit following UN Report The stock market continued to lose its momentum as predicted in the lead story on these pages in its last week’s edition, compounded by foreigners fleeing the market, made worse by the UN’s negative war report on the island. “There is panic selling by foreigners in the backdrop of ...

Banks’ Profits Up 111% The banking industry achieved a considerably high level of profits in 2010. Profit after tax amounted to Rs. 57.5 billion last year, a 111% growth in comparison to a Rs. 27.2 billion profit in 2009. The significant growth in profitability was mainly attributed to a higher increase in fee-based income, a ...

No Investments With the market throwing up an excess liquidity of more than Rs. 120 billion day, day in day out, and signs being that investments have not picked up, are all favourable indicators for the prevalence of a low interest regime in the economy, a market source told this reporter. The market has no ...

Excess Liquidity, Small Forex Market Excess liquidity coupled with low volumes of foreign exchange traded have been continuing to bug markets here, which a source attributed as being are reflection of the low levels of economic activity taking place in the country. Despite a spike last Friday, the foreign exchange (forex) market has been averaging ...

The “drag down” of the bourse which began a couple of weeks ago will continue till the year end because of the holiday season that would lead to a further contraction in demand as a result. The “light at the end of the tunnel” may once more be seen if foreigners re-enter the market, a ...

President Rajapaksa as Minister of Finance presented the first budget in his second term as the Executive President, making proposals giving a major impetus to value addition of local industrial products, to improve export earnings while granting a wide range of concessions, increasing outsourcing facilities in Sri Lanka for foreign business enterprises. Thus the President, ...

Government institutions such as the State administered EPF are believed to have had entered the market on Thursday by buying into blue chips across the board, thereby helping to push up the All Share Price Index (ASPI) by 92.58 points (1.43%) to 6,565 and the more sensitive Milanka Price Index (MPI

By Chamitha Kuruppu Reputed Economist and UNP Member of Parliament Dr. Harsha de Silva, while talking about the crony capitalism in the country, warns that the situation is only going to get worse within the new set up, where economic...

The bourse, affected by the 10% price ceiling on daily trading, and with no foreign investments in sight, saw the benchmark ASPI and the more sensitive MPI picking up by five and 13 points respectively on Friday’s trading (over that of Thursday’s close), according to provisional results. Turnover was Rs. 2.5 billion led by Aitken ...

Aug 18, Colombo: Sri Lanka Central Bank (CBSL) today dismissed an opposition party claim that the Employee's Provident Fund (EPF) does not have the authority to invest in banking and financial sector stocks listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange.