News & market updates

Dividend · Rs 1.00 · XD Feb 6, 2026

First Interim dividend of LKR 1/share; XD 2026-02-06; record 2026-02-08; payable 2026-02-25; FY 2025/2026

Ambeon Capital's subsidiary Ambeon Essentials signed an agreement to acquire a 51.11% controlling stake in Harischandra Mills (price undisclosed). Harischandra shares jumped Rs.1,396 (25%) to Rs.6,982 after the announcement.

Sri Lanka will host a 510 sq m Country Pavilion at Gulfood 2026 with 61 exporting companies participating, including Cargills, Ceylon Cold Stores, Renuka Agri Foods and Elpitiya Plantations; the pavilion aims to boost exports of tea, spices, coconut and processed foods to MEASA markets.

The Colombo market hit an intraday record of 24,052.06 but closed flat, with the ASPI down 0.01% at 23,953.09 and the S&P SL20 up 0.20% at 6,663.12. Turnover was over Rs.5.4bn; York jumped 24.81% while SAMP, RICH, DFCC, CTHR and CARG were top negative contributors.

Sri Lanka showcased Ceylon tea, cinnamon, coconut products and handicrafts at the Sri Lankan National Pavilion at Grüne Woche 2026 in Berlin, receiving positive interest from German and EU buyers. AHK Sri Lanka said the fair provides SMEs a platform to explore and enter EU/German markets.

Dividend · Rs 1.65 · XD Feb 5, 2026

Third Interim dividend of LKR 1.65/share; XD 2026-02-05; record 2026-02-05; payable 2026-02-24; FY 2025/26

Dividend · Rs 1.48 · XD Feb 5, 2026

Third Interim dividend of LKR 1.478/share; XD 2026-02-05; record 2026-02-05; payable 2026-02-24; FY 2025/26

Sri Lanka's total export earnings reached US$17,252.15 Mn in 2025, up 5.6% year-on-year. Merchandise exports rose 6.32% to US$13,579.38 Mn and services exports increased 2.79% to US$3,672.77 Mn, with strong gains in apparel, coconut products, ICT/BPM and food & beverages.

Ambeon Capital PLC (via subsidiary Ambeon Essentials) signed an SSPA to acquire 981,118 shares (about 51.11%) of Harischandra Mills PLC and will make a voluntary offer for the remaining shares; the deal is subject to regulatory approvals.

United Motors Lanka (UML.N0000) launched the all-new Mitsubishi Destinator, a seven-seat SUV priced from Rs. 24.95 million. The model is powered by a 1.5L turbo (163 BHP), offers five drive modes and a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating.

Hayleys-owned Mabroc Teas has launched TeaTrace, a QR-linked digital traceability platform providing batch-level visibility from estate to retail to meet European ESG and sourcing demands. The platform, unveiled at Anuga 2025, is intended to support compliance, sustainability verification and market access.

DIMO Healthcare supplied a range of ZEISS ophthalmic systems to the new Ninewells Eye clinic, including the OPMI LUMERA 700 surgical microscope and IOLMaster 700, to enhance diagnostic accuracy and surgical capacity.

Government circular revises one-time grants for disaster-affected businesses: Rs.200,000 per unit for registered small/micro businesses (Industry Ministry or Divisional Secretariat), Rs.50,000 for unregistered commercial/manufacturing/greenhouse units, and Rs.25,000 for temporary trading units. Funding will be provided by the Defence Ministry and disbursed through Divisional Secretariats.

IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo will be held on 22 February 2026 at Port City Colombo with Shangri‑La as host, expected to boost tourism, hotel, retail and services spending; Asiri Health is the event's official medical partner.

The Jaffna International Trade Fair opened for its 16th year at Muttraweli Ground, Jaffna and runs until Sunday, organised by LECS with the CCIY. The fair attracts importers, exporters, SMEs, financial institutions and development agencies seeking access to the Northern market.

CleanTech became the first Sri Lankan company certified under the Good Plastic Standard GP 5040:2025. The certification enables it to supply verified recycled plastic to FMCG brands and supports the rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Sri Lanka.

EFC's National Best Employer Awards 2025 honoured SPEN.N0000, COMB.N0000, DIAL.N0000, HNB.N0000, HAYL.N0000, HHL.N0000, JKH.N0000 and others as Best Employer winners; honourable mentions included CTC.N0000, LLUB.N0000 and LION.N0000.

ASPI rose 0.03% (7.45 pts) to 23,813.77 while the S&P SL20 slipped 0.02% to 6,617.85; turnover was Rs.8.3 billion and foreigners were net sellers with a reported net outflow of Rs.144.6 billion. Top contributors included HNB, DFCC, UML, RICH and ASCO, with DOCK, HAYL and SFCL dragging the index.

CIM has appointed a Sri Lanka Professional Member Support Committee led by Dr. Lewie Diasz; the panel includes senior marketing executives from Lion Brewery, Hayleys, National Development Bank, HNB, DIMO and The Kingsbury.

Jaffna International Trade Fair (JITF) opens 23–25 Jan 2026 at Muttraweli Ground, Jaffna with over 400 stalls, building on a previous turnout of 78,452 visitors and 5,000 invited business delegates.

Singer Sri Lanka PLC has partnered with Infinity Gift Card Ltd to offer Singer e-gift vouchers on the IGC platform, allowing customers to purchase and redeem Singer gift cards online and in-store.

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.

ASPI closed at an all-time high of 23,806.32, up 0.77% (182.58 pts) on turnover above Rs.9.8bn. Gains were led by Hayleys, Colombo Dockyard and Sampath Bank, with the capital goods and banking sectors among the top contributors.

Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC won two honours at the FMCG Asia Awards 2025 — New Brand Launch (Sri Lanka) for True Born and Seasonal Campaign (Sri Lanka) for Carlsberg’s Display Drive & Merchandising. The company said its contributions to Sri Lanka’s tax base have exceeded LKR 500 billion over the past decade.