Company filings and market news from across Sri Lanka's stock market.
Regulatory tightening dominated banks/finance as Cabinet named the SEC to regulate virtual asset service providers within a CBSL/FIU/IRD framework and approved a 2026-2030 national AML policy. The FIU flagged long-running trade-based money laundering via phantom imports, after probes found about $715m in fraudulent remittances. CBSL kept LTV caps on vehicle and gold loans. Services PMI signaled June expansion led by financial services.
Auto-generated from 17 sector news articles over 30 days. Not investment advice.
DFCC Bank completed the acquisition of Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka's wealth and retail banking business, adding approximately 50,000 customers and colleagues and taking on retail, wealth, SME, cards, lending, deposits and selected operating assets. Customers retain existing Standard Chartered account numbers, cards, PINs and payment arrangements while being migrated to DFCC's digital platforms and branch/relationship arrangements.
Sri Lanka's rupee was quoted at 335.75/80 to the US dollar in the spot market while bond yields were broadly steady (e.g. a 15.12.2029 bond at ~10.95-11.05%). Rs 140,000 million of Treasury bills are to be issued via auction on Aug 5.
Commercial Bank of Ceylon has been ranked the No.1 Sri Lankan bank in The Banker magazine's 2026 Top 1000 World Banks; the bank reported a 12.1% growth in Tier I capital and its 14th appearance on the list.
Colombo Stock Exchange indices ticked up: ASPI rose 0.05% (11.60 pts) to 21,133.38 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.15% to 5,949.05, with market turnover at Rs 64.7m and banks leading turnover (Rs 32.4m). Notable movers included Commercial Bank, LOLC and ACL Plastics (declared interim dividend), while JKH, Central Finance and Browns Investments weighed down the index.
DFCC Bank PLC completed its acquisition of Standard Chartered Sri Lanka's retail and wealth business for LKR 3,655 million (plus taxes); the transition was effective Aug 1 and operations went live Aug 3. About 50,000 customers, 260 former SCB employees and six branches were migrated, and the deal was funded from internal capital.
DFCC Bank completed its Rs3.7 billion acquisition of Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka's Wealth and Retail business, with live operations beginning Aug 3. The deal brings 50,000 customers, six branches and 260 transferred employees; DFCC shares closed at Rs125.75 (+0.40%).
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka published its Market Operations Report on 31 July 2026, saying it tightened monetary policy in H1 2026 and short-term interest rates rose. It reported surplus liquidity from net FX purchases and some rupee depreciation pressures, with FX intervention to curb volatility.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has directed all Licensed Finance Companies to strictly comply with its 2026 Loan-to-Value Directions for motor vehicle financing, warning that inflated valuations and bridging finance used to bypass LTV limits risk financial stability.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka was a net purchaser of $556.3m in 1H 2026 (bought $982.2m, sold $425.9m) and injected about Rs.262.5bn into the domestic money market via FX purchases and swaps to rebuild reserves and curb exchange-rate volatility.
Union Bank of Colombo (UBC.N0000) reported 1H 2026 PBT of Rs. 881 million, up 84% y/y, and PAT of Rs. 587 million, up 134%; gross income rose 19% to Rs. 10,139m and total assets grew 15% to Rs. 199,283m.
The Rs. 250 billion Treasury Bond auction was fully taken up, sparking a secondary-market rally that drove yields lower across the curve. Short-term T-Bill yields fell for a third week (91-day to 9.86%), foreign holdings rose by Rs.6.44bn to Rs.188.82bn and the rupee strengthened to Rs.335.65/335.80.
Headline inflation rose to 7.3% in July 2026 from 6.8% in June, breaching the Central Bank's 7% upper target. The CBSL said higher housing rents and food inflation, and a c.47% fuel price rise after Middle East supply disruption, drove the increase; the central bank last month kept the policy rate unchanged and expects inflation to remain above target in the near term.
Colombo stocks closed flat with the ASPI up 0.01% at 21,132.12 and market turnover of Rs 1.41 billion; banks led turnover at Rs 411.6 million and Food, Beverage & Tobacco followed with Rs 308.7 million. Notable movers included Melstacorp, HNB, Pan Asia, Central Finance and Aitken Spence; Lanka Realty Investments disclosed an Rs 800m related-party loan settlement.
Colombo Stock Exchange indices were trading higher midday, the ASPI up 0.36% (76.41 pts) at 21,205.62 and the S&P SL20 up 0.38% at 5,962.29; market turnover was Rs 314 million, with banks leading at Rs 122.7 million. Asia Asset Finance said 41,398,511 preference shares will be deemed converted into 53,348,596 ordinary shares at Rs 7.76 each effective Aug 10 (pref shares trade ends Aug 6; ordinary shares from Sep 16).
Commercial Bank of Ceylon has become the first bank globally to be awarded UNFPA's CRJB Champion Status, recognising its workplace policies on reproductive health, gender equality and employee well-being. The bank said it will adopt UNFPA standards, expand related programmes and report progress through its sustainability framework.
The Central Bank reported a monthly current account deficit of US$149 million in June 2026 (third consecutive month) and a cumulative H1 deficit of US$245 million. The deterioration was driven by a wider merchandise trade deficit (US$5.5bn H1), a 40.2% rise in fuel import costs y/y, a 9.9% drop in tourist arrivals in June, and a 7.8% YTD depreciation of the rupee.
Colombo CCPI inflation rose to 7.3% in July, breaching the Central Bank's upper target limit and reaching a three-year high. Non-food inflation accelerated to 7.8% and core inflation was 4.4%; the Central Bank had raised policy rates by 100bps in May as a response to administered price adjustments.
Seylan Bank reported a June-quarter profit of Rs3.21bn, up 16.3% y/y, with EPS of Rs5.06 and H1 profit of Rs6.02bn. Total operating income rose 14% to Rs13.29bn while impairment charges increased to Rs632.4m; total capital ratio was 15.56% and Tier-1 10.91%.
The Colombo market ended the week in red: ASPI fell 0.2% for the week and closed yesterday at 21,129.21 (‑0.09%), while the S&P SL20 was down 0.04% for the week. Market turnover was over Rs.4.3bn; main negative contributors were HNB, CFIN, DFCC, HAYL and LOLC, and foreign investors were net buyers of Rs.955.2m.
Dividend · Rs 1.00 · XD Aug 11, 2026
Final dividend of LKR 1/share; XD 2026-08-11; record 2026-08-12; payable 2026-09-01; FY 31 March 2026
Union Bank of Colombo reported PBT of LKR 881 Mn in 1H 2026 (up 84% YoY) and PAT of LKR 587 Mn (up 134% YoY). Group PBT was LKR 997 Mn, total assets rose 15% to LKR 199,283 Mn, and income included LKR 249 Mn from sale of shares in subsidiary UB Finance.
Dividend · Rs 7.00 · XD Sep 2, 2026
Final dividend of LKR 7/share; XD 2026-09-02; record 2026-09-03; payable 2026-09-17; FY 31 March 2026
Sri Lanka's rupee strengthened to 335.65/80 per US dollar in the spot market from 336.00/10 the previous day, dealers said. Government bond yields edged lower, with the 15.10.2030 bond around 11.55-11.60% and the 01.07.2037 bond about 12.75-12.80%.
Seylan Bank PLC reported 1H 2026 PAT of Rs. 6,080 million, up 10.78% YoY (PBT Rs. 9,298 million, up 10.10%), with total assets of Rs. 976 billion and EPS of Rs. 9.57; NIM eased to 4.16% while impairment charges rose to Rs. 733 million.