News & market updates

Seylan Bank reported a record PAT of Rs. 12.1 billion for the year ended 31 Dec 2025, up 20.5% (PBT Rs. 19.6bn, +22.3%), with total assets up 18% to Rs. 921bn, improved asset quality (Stage 3 ratio 1.03%) and CET1 of 12.39%.

Seylan Bank reported a record Profit After Tax of LKR 12.1 Bn for the year ended 31 Dec 2025, up 20.5% (PBT LKR 19.6 Bn, +22.3%). Total assets rose to LKR 921 Bn, CET1 12.39% and total capital ratio 17.89%; the bank raised LKR 15 Bn in Basel III Tier-2 debentures and received a Fitch upgrade to A+(lka).

Dividend · Rs 4.00 · XD Apr 2, 2026

First And Final dividend of LKR 4/share; XD 2026-04-02; record 2026-04-05; payable 2026-04-24; FY ended 31st December 2025

Fitch says the Central Bank of Sri Lanka's reintroduced bank consolidation framework is broadly credit-positive, targeting banks with assets below Rs.400 billion and subjecting banks scoring under 60% in 2026–27 to possible mandatory consolidation. Fitch notes consolidation should strengthen capital and franchises, and identifies HDFC.N0000 as a likely acquisition target.

Banks across Sri Lanka are intensifying AML/CFT controls ahead of the country's third mutual evaluation, warning a negative outcome would damage financial credibility and access to funding. Leading banks such as DFCC and HNB report system upgrades, AI-backed transaction monitoring, stronger KYC/UBO processes and mock evaluations.

Seylan Bank PLC concluded its "Swipes & Surprises" card campaign (13 Nov–31 Dec 2025), awarding seven Seylan credit/debit cardholders an iPhone 17 Pro each after meeting a Rs. 5,000 minimum transaction requirement.

ASPI rose 0.80% (190.27 pts) to 23,900.11 and the S&P SL20 gained 1.38% to 6,710.33, led by strength in large-cap banking stocks. Market turnover was over Rs.5.6bn, foreign investors were net sellers of Rs.167.6m, with HNB, SAMP, COMB, DOCK and NDB among top positive contributors.

Seylan Bank PLC appointed W.D. Batagoda as a Non-Executive Director effective 26 December 2025 and Ramani Samarasundera as an Independent Non-Executive Director effective 26 January 2026. Both bring legal and consumer-marketing expertise respectively to strengthen the bank’s board.

Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank and Seylan Bank acted as Strategic Gold Partners at the Association of Professional Bankers (APB) Convention 2026. The event united public, private and foreign banks to promote professionalism and regional collaboration across Sri Lanka's banking sector.

The Association of Alternate Financial Institutions appointed its new 2026/27 board, with Siddeeque Akbar as President. AAFI's membership includes Commercial Bank, L B Finance, NDB, Seylan Bank and Hatton National Bank.

Seylan Bank PLC has appointed Ramani Samarasundera as an Independent Non-Executive Director. She is Group Chief Marketing Officer of CIC Holdings PLC and brings over 30 years of marketing and FMCG experience.

Seylan Bank PLC launched the first islandwide Seylan Tikiri financial-literacy campaign for children during World Children’s Month, delivering savings and child-safety education in Pahasara Library Schools nationwide with media partners Derana 24/7 and Capital TV.

CEOs of Amana Bank, Seylan Bank, Pan Asia and Union Bank said Sri Lanka's banking sector is pursuing continuous, capital-intensive digital transformation, highlighting legacy systems, governance, costs and cyber risk as the main execution challenges.

Government has consolidated MSME financial facilities into a single digital Rs.95 billion framework and the NCGI will issue Rs.7,000 million in credit guarantees in 2026 to unlock about Rs.10,000 million in MSME lending. Sixteen banks, including HDFC, Commercial Bank, NDB, HNB, Sampath, Seylan, DFCC, Nations Trust and Cargills Bank, will participate in channeling concessional and disaster-relief loans.

Fairway Holdings launched its 7th luxury apartment project, Fairway Latitude, on 20 January 2026 and construction has commenced with completion targeted for 2028. Seylan Bank is noted as a supporting partner for the development.

Seylan Bank PLC joined the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) to adopt standardized carbon accounting and improve disclosure of financed greenhouse gas emissions.

Seylan Bank donated Rs. 50 million to the Government’s Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund for Diṭwah cyclone relief; the cheque was handed over by CEO Ramesh Jayasekera to the Secretary to the President.

Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka & Finance PLC (MBSL) recalibrated the MBSL Midcap Index effective 1 January 2026, setting the midcap market-cap range at Rs. 8.45 billion–Rs. 84.5 billion and selecting 25 constituents. New inclusions include Sierra Cables, Aitken Spence, Vallibel Finance, Lanka IOC, JAT Holdings and Prime Lands; Citizens Development, CIC, Ceylon Grain Elevators, John Keells, Hayleys Fabric, Teejay Lanka and Watawala Plantations were excluded.

Seylan Bank held its second SME program in the North Central region (Polonnaruwa) — a full-day forum to boost SME financial literacy. The session covered financial and tax management tailored to local needs, and the bank said it will continue similar capacity-building events.

Seylan Bank held its second SME forum in the North Central Region (Polonnaruwa), running a full-day session on financial and tax management to improve SME financial literacy and support regional business growth.

Government will launch a concessionary pledge loan scheme from 1 Jan to help SME paddy millers access loans up to Rs.50 million at 7% for 180 days. Fifteen banks will participate, including COMB.N0000, HNB.N0000, SAMP.N0000, DFCC.N0000, NDB.N0000, NTB.N0000, ABL.N0000, CBNK.N0000 and PABC.N0000; total disbursements ~Rs.10bn.

Seylan Bank's Islamic Banking Unit donated Rs. 1 million to OrphanCare Trust to support orphaned youth transitioning to independent life. The contribution is part of the unit's ongoing charitable commitment to sustainable community development.

Seylan Bank PLC appointed Wasantha Batagoda as a Non-Executive, Non-Independent Director. Batagoda is Chief Legal Officer of the LOLC Group, has held senior legal roles at LOLC Holdings and served as a Non-Executive Director of DFCC Bank from Sept 2022 to Dec 2024.

Seylan Bank’s Islamic Banking Unit donated LKR 1 million to OrphanCare Trust to support orphaned youth transitioning to independent life.

Banks agreed to grant distressed businesses 3–6 month extensions on existing loan repayments without additional interest or fees following Cyclone Ditwah. They also agreed on low-interest concessional loans, a common implementation mechanism and a shared database to coordinate support.

Seylan Bank PLC integrated eChannelling Ltd. with its Open API Banking platform to enable real-time, secure automated payments and instantaneous reconciliation via LankaPay JustPay. The integration aims to improve transaction efficiency and reduce manual reconciliation for corporate and healthcare partners.

WEBXPAY has enabled Google Pay for online payments across all WEBXPAY-powered merchants through a collaboration with Mastercard and Seylan Bank (SEYB.N0000). The feature uses tokenisation and biometric authentication to speed secure checkouts and requires no extra work for standard-checkout merchants.

Seylan Bank has enabled customers to select preferred cash note denominations at its ATMs, allowing withdrawals in bill mixes of 5,000, 1,000, 500 and 100 rupee notes. The feature, rolled out across its ATM network, aims to speed withdrawals and reduce reliance on bank counters.