News & market updates

Nalin Subasinghe has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Insurance Life, effective 3 November 2025. He brings over 21 years' insurance experience, including senior roles at HNB Assurance, Union Assurance and Capital Alliance.

HNB PLC unveiled a limited, invitation-only Club Elite Mastercard GRAMMY® Awards experience offering a paid four-day trip for two with red-carpet and backstage access; the campaign runs through 30 Nov 2025 ahead of the 1 Feb 2026 ceremony.

HNB PLC has joined The Management Club as Principal Sponsor and Official Banking Partner of the Northern Investment Summit 2026 in Jaffna. HNB said savings in the Northern Province total about Rs.130 billion and its lending portfolio about Rs.60 billion, with strong repayment performance.

HNB PLC has joined The Management Club as Principal Sponsor and Official Banking Partner of the Northern Investment Summit 2026 in Jaffna, reporting roughly Rs.130 billion in deposits and about Rs.60 billion in loans in the Northern Province. The bank said repayment performance there is strong and it will work with government and investors to boost regional investment and launch the Northern Investment Opportunities Report.

The Northern Investment Summit 2026 will be held 21–22 Jan in Jaffna to attract investment into the Northern Province, backed by government, India mentorship and private partners; Hatton National Bank is partnering to provide finance and support capital access.

GovPay launched traffic fine payments in the Northern Province, enabling on-the-spot payments via bank and fintech apps; since April 2025 it has processed 23,539 spot fines totaling over Rs.31 million.

JF Packaging's IPO was oversubscribed within hours; 51,724,144 shares at LKR 11.60 are being offered to raise LKR 600 million. The company will use LKR 439,464,493 to settle term loans (including with Nations Trust Bank) and LKR 160,535,577 for revolving import loans.

HNB General Insurance reported that Rumesh Wijethilaka won a SLIM National Sales Award 2025, highlighting the insurer’s sales excellence. The company said the accolade reflects its focus on developing a high-performing, customer-centric sales force.

HNB.N0000 and SMOT.N0000 signed a partnership on 23 September 2025 to offer nationwide leasing solutions for ISUZU vehicles, targeting commercial and personal customers.

The Colombo Stock Exchange held the 7th CSE Masterminds Quiz, with Acuity Knowledge Partners (Team 2) winning the grand cash prize of Rs. 1,000,000. Sector winners included Dialog Finance (Leasing & Finance), John Keells Stock Brokers (Stock Brokering) and NDB Wealth Management, and many listed firms participated as sponsors.

Hatton National Bank (HNB.N0000) has established an innovation ecosystem with a Chief Innovation Officer and an Innovation Studio and launched 'HNB Accept' with Visa (Sept 2025) to enable merchants to accept card payments via smartphones. The bank is scaling AI pilots and faster credit processes to align technology to growth.

Hatton National Bank has been assigned an expected National Long-Term Rating of 'AA-(EXP)(lka)' by Fitch for its proposed LKR10 billion senior sustainable bond issue. The bonds will mature in five or seven years and proceeds will fund the bank's sustainability lending; final rating awaits documentation.

HNB's investment-banking arm, HNB Investment Bank, opened a new branch in Jaffna, bringing HNB Stockbrokers and HNB Securities closer to regional clients. The move is part of HNBIB's local expansion strategy following its Maldives JV and aims to increase regional access to equity and debt markets.

Curtin University Colombo hosted a high-level Australia–Sri Lanka research roundtable to develop joint projects in health, energy, agriculture, technology and policy. HNB's Chief Innovation Officer participated, with fintech and digital infrastructure among proposed collaboration areas.

ASPI rose 0.66% (+149.82 pts) to 22,783.62 as the Colombo bourse extended gains, led by banks and diversified financials with heavy turnover and notable rises in SEYB, HNB, CFIN, COOP, HARI, SIRA, DFCC and WIND.

The EPF recorded an unrealized profit of Rs.73.97 billion on its Colombo Stock Exchange holdings as of June 30, 2025, with its Rs.85.88 billion invested across 64 listed companies rising to a market value of Rs.159.85 billion.

Maharaja Foods (MFPE) plans to raise Rs.112.5m via a 1-for-10 rights issue at Rs.9 per share to fund a SPAR–Maharaja SaveMore outlet (Rs.47.5m), repay Rs.50m of HNB loans, and launch a ready-made rice and curry product line; subject to approvals.

HNB PLC has partnered with Browns EV to provide flexible leasing solutions for Browns electric vehicles, in an agreement formalised on 28 July 2025. The bank will offer tailored leasing options including competitive rates, insurance facilitation and doorstep documentation to support EV adoption.

Maharaja Foods (MFPE) plans a 1-for-10 rights issue of 12.5m shares at Rs9 to raise Rs112.5mn to fund a SPAR–Maharaja SaveMore outlet, repay Rs50mn of HNB short-term loans/overdrafts, and finance a new ready-made rice/curry product line.

Colombo market rebounded as the ASPI rose 0.56% (123.87 pts) to 22,416.15 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.45% on turnover of around Rs. 8.9bn, with foreigners net selling Rs. 1.4bn. Hemas, Sampath, Vidullanka, Richard Pieris and DIMO were key positive contributors while banking stocks led turnover.

ADB urged Sri Lanka to make cybersecurity and data protection core to its digital transformation. Government advisers said recent laws and institutions (PDPA, Data Protection Authority, National Cyber Security Centre) and a forthcoming Cyber Security Bill will underpin plans to grow the digital economy to $15bn by 2029 and boost digital exports.

Commercial Bank, DFCC, HNB, NDB, Sampath Bank and Seylan partnered with Home Lands at its Home Lands EXPO 2025 to offer up to 100% financing, including the Wealth Builder plan with no down payment, to support purchases of Home Lands projects.

IMF and G20 participants urged greater transparency and faster restructuring of non-bonded commercial loans to ease sovereign debt stress, highlighting risks for banks with exposures in vulnerable countries such as Sri Lanka.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed higher with market capitalisation surpassing Rs. 8 trillion for the first time as the ASPI rose 0.23% to 22,372.57. Turnover was Rs. 5.7 billion, diversified financials led activity, and key positive contributors included WIND, DIAL, HNB and NDB; foreigners were net sellers (Rs.59m outflow).

Sri Lanka's ASPI fell 0.36% to 22,292.28 while the S&P SL20 dropped 0.43% to 6,198.82; top decliners included Sampath Bank, HNB, Melstacorp, John Keells and C T Holdings, and Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka & Finance was the biggest gainer. Market turnover was 5.6 billion rupees.

Colombo Stock Exchange rose 0.23% (ASPI 22,372.57) as WindForce and diversified financials led trading. WindForce leased land for a 100MW solar project and had turnover of 308.9 million rupees; Dialog, HNB and NDB were also top contributors.

The Reserve Bank of India has allowed Indian banks and their Sri Lanka branches to lend to Sri Lankan customers denominated in Indian rupees, widening credit access and reducing exchange-rate risk for Sri Lankan businesses.

Sri Lanka's banks cut foreign borrowings and boosted FX deposits and investments, lifting net foreign‑currency assets 42.5% y/y to USD 1.5bn at end‑Q2 2025. D‑SIBs (84.8% of these investments) and banks including Sampath Bank and HNB financed foreign governments and firms via sovereign securities and syndicated loans.

The Colombo bourse closed the four-day week higher as the ASPI rose 1.01% (223.83 pts) to 22,318.72 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.62% to 6,226.03, with weekly turnover of Rs.8.45bn and foreign net outflows of Rs.265.1m. JKH, HNB, LFIN, COMB and PKME were top positive contributors, while CFVF rose on a cash dividend announcement and ACL saw higher participation after a share subdivision.

Hatton National Bank (HNB) joined a consortium of global lenders in an oversubscribed USD 1.0 billion sustainability-linked syndicated term loan for Aster Chemicals & Energy Pte Ltd, upsized from an initial USD 700m. Proceeds are tied to GHG intensity reduction targets and will fund asset rejuvenation and general corporate purposes.