News & market updates

Hayleys PLC held its 21 Feb 2025 Chairman’s Awards, recognising 200 employees from 26 project teams for innovation, ESG, service excellence and quality improvements. Winners included Haycarb (ESG rainwater harvesting), Hayleys Fabric (FreshWick Pro and FemFlexTex) and Advantis (31 lean projects delivering LKR 109m savings).

ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards 2024 named Hayleys PLC overall winner and Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC overall runner-up. Listed firms recognised in sector categories included Talawakelle Tea Estates, Horana Plantations, Ceylon Cold Stores, Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank, Citizens Development Business Finance, Resus Energy, Hayleys Fabric, Haycarb, Diesel & Motor Engineering, JAT Holdings and Aitken Spence Hotels.

A session on 'Driving Growth in Value-Added Export Manufacturing' will be held at the Sri Lanka Economic Summit on 29 January, featuring Deloitte Thailand and industry figures including MAS Holdings CEO Suren Fernando and Hayleys' Rajitha Kariyawasan.

A session on Driving Growth in Value-Added Export Manufacturing at the Sri Lanka Economic Summit on Jan 29 will include Haycarb MD Rajitha Kariyawasan and other industry and government speakers to discuss productivity, cost of doing business, innovation and labour law reforms.

Vietnam’s Ambassador met Hayleys PLC to discuss expanding economic cooperation and potential joint ventures in agriculture, plantations, transport, logistics and power; annual bilateral trade is around US$300m.

Dividend · Rs 0.50 · XD Jan 9, 2025

Third Interim dividend of LKR 0.5/share; XD 2025-01-09; record 2025-01-09; payable 2025-01-22; FY 2024/25

Colombo Stock Exchange closed higher: ASPI up 0.98% (147.79 pts) to 15,168 and S&P SL20 up 0.82% to 4,535 on turnover of 5.4 billion rupees. Top contributors included Hayleys, Central Finance, C T Holdings and Sampath Bank, with a net foreign outflow of 94 million rupees.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed higher as the ASPI rose 1.07% to 14,810 and turnover hit Rs9.23bn, the highest since Feb 7. Top contributors included Central Finance, Ceylon Cold Stores, Melstacorp, Access Engineering and Chevron Lubricants; net foreign outflow was Rs226m.

Hayleys PLC won the Gold for Overall Excellence in Corporate Reporting at CA Sri Lanka’s TAGS Awards 2024; Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC took Silver and Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC featured among top winners. Multiple shortlisted firms (e.g., DIMO, COMB, LFIN, SFIN, CCS, HAYC, SLTL, LGL, FCT) received sector awards.

Hayleys PLC won the Cyril Gardiner Memorial Trophy for Overall Excellence in Corporate Reporting at the TAGS Awards 2024 for the third consecutive year. The Group won 20 awards (13 Gold), with sector wins for Alumex, Haycarb, Horana Plantations, Kelani Valley Plantations and Singer Finance.

Dipped Products PLC appointed Anomi Wanigasekera as an Independent Non-Executive Director and member of its Audit Committee and Related Party Transactions Review Committee. Wanigasekera is a partner at Julius & Creasy with over 40 years' experience and sits on the boards of Haycarb PLC and Hayleys Leisure PLC.

Haycarb PLC will establish an $8 million activated carbon plant in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines through subsidiary Haycarb Philippines Corporation. The project’s first phase is due by June 2026 and is part of a five- to six-year plan to expand the company’s global operations.

Haycarb PLC said its Philippine unit received BOI approval to build an activated carbon plant in Cagayan de Oro, with Phase I investment of about USD 8 million due for completion by June 2026. The group plans further expansions over the next 5–6 years to boost international presence.

Haycarb PLC's wholly owned unit Haycarb Philippines has obtained BOI approval to build an activated carbon plant in Cagayan de Oro with an estimated Phase I investment of $8m, expected to be completed by June 2026. The company plans further expansions over the next 5–6 years.

Aitken Spence won the Ceylon Chamber Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2024. Shortlist firms recognised included Talawakelle Tea Estates (Category B winner), Sampath Bank (runner-up and finance sector champion) and other shortlist companies such as Dilmah, Haycarb, Kelani Valley, Elpitiya, Jetwing Symphony, Hemas, Singer and Ceylon Tobacco.

Aitken Spence won the Grand Slam Award at the 21st Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2024. Shortlisted companies receiving awards included Sampath Bank, Talawakelle Tea Estates, Kelani Valley and Elpitiya Plantations, Jetwing Symphony, Haycarb, Dilmah, Hemas, Singer and Ceylon Tobacco.

Aitken Spence PLC won the Grand Slam Award at the 21st Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2024 after claiming the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2024. Multiple other listed firms (including Sampath Bank, Talawakelle, Kelani Valley, Dilmah, Haycarb and others) were also recognised across categories.

CA Sri Lanka hosted the SAFA Best Presented Annual Report Awards 2023 in Colombo, where Sri Lankan firms won 24 awards. Several listed companies — including Commercial Bank, Hayleys, Haycarb, Royal Ceramics, Access Engineering, Kelani Valley, Talawakelle, DIMO, Sri Lanka Telecom, Ceylon Tea Brokers, NDB and L B Finance — received awards or merit recognitions.

Hisham Jamaldeen resigned from the boards of Hayleys PLC, Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC, Haycarb PLC and Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC, with the resignation effective November 14, the companies said in stock exchange filings.

Hayleys PLC reported H1 Profit Before Tax of Rs.12.73 bn, up 78% y/y, with consolidated revenue rising 17% to Rs.236.15 bn and annualised EPS at Rs.4.23. Growth was led by Consumer & Retail (+52%), Transportation & Logistics (+26%) and Projects & Engineering (+87%); net finance costs fell ~35% and Fitch retained AAA (lka).

The Institute of Supply and Materials Management held National Supply Chain Day on 24 Oct 2024 in Colombo, hosting an international seminar and awards attended by ~400 participants. The event featured CEOs from Dialog and Singer, and listed firms including Hayleys, Lion Brewery, Dipped Products, CIC, Alumex, DIMO and Haycarb were among nominees.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI rose 0.57% to 12,800 on Friday with turnover Rs2 billion and net foreign inflows of Rs199 million. Top turnover generators included Royal Ceramics, Dipped Products, Lanka Milk Foods, John Keells and Sampath Bank; banking stocks showed mixed moves.

Haycarb PLC won a Gold (Cover Photo/Design) and Silver (Non-Traditional Annual Report) at the 38th ARC International Awards for its 2023/24 Annual Report. The report outlines 2030 ESG targets including a 50% increase in renewable energy use, 25% sustainable packaging adoption and a 25% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions.

Haycarb PLC's 2023/24 Annual Report won a Gold (Cover Photo/Design) and a Silver (Non-Traditional Annual Report) at the 38th ARC International Awards. The report, launched in Haycarb's 50th year, sets ESG targets including a 50% rise in renewable energy use, 25% sustainable packaging and 25% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030.

Colombo Stock Exchange ended the week in green: ASPI rose 0.35% to 12,517 and turnover was Rs4.7bn, with Sampath Bank and Hatton National Bank contributing over Rs1bn and Rs1.3bn respectively. Net foreign outflow was Rs186m and Lion Brewery announced a Rs17.3/share dividend.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed higher: ASPI +0.94% at 12,473 and S&P SL20 +1.55% at 3,720, with turnover Rs 4.7 billion. Crossings in Sampath Bank and Hayleys added over Rs 1.3 billion; net foreign outflow was Rs 39 million, with foreign buying in Sampath and Haycarb and selling in CIC, Hayleys, Vallibel Finance and Dipped Products.

Dividend · Rs 1.10 · XD Oct 9, 2024

Second Interim dividend of LKR 1.1/share; XD 2024-10-09; record 2024-10-09; payable 2024-10-21; FY 2024/25