News & market updates

Government lost over Rs.25 billion in potential cigarette tax revenue since 2025 after the tax share fell to 67% (below the WHO's 75% benchmark), with over Rs.8 billion lost in the first six months of 2026, Verité Research said; Verité launched a Cigarette Tax Leakage Tracker on PublicFinance.LK.

Colombo market fell to a three-month low as the ASPI slipped 0.50% (107.39 pts) to 21,424.99 and the S&P SL20 dropped 0.37% (22.04 pts) to 6,000.15. Foreign investors were net sellers of Rs.126.9m; main negative contributors included Carson, Melstacorp, Vallibel One and John Keells, while Lanka IOC, Ceylon Cold Stores and Dipped Products led turnover.

Sri Lanka stocks closed flat as the ASPI rose 0.01% to 21,426.43, with banks leading turnover at 327.4 million rupees. Haycarb, John Keells and Ceylon Cold Stores were top gainers while HNB, Central Finance and Commercial Bank were top decliners; Digital Mobility Solutions disclosed ESOP allotments and its shares closed down 0.30%.

DIMO, with the Tata Group and ChildFund, launched the 'Hope in a Backpack' programme supplying educational kits to disaster-affected schoolchildren in Sri Lanka, reaching a 27,000-student milestone across Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Kegalle.

Ritzbury Roccoa (CBL Foods International) is running a promotion until 20 Aug 2026 offering a Lionel Messi-signed 2026 Argentina jersey and a Cristiano Ronaldo-signed Portugal jersey as top prizes; entry requires purchasing a Ritzbury Roccoa chocolate and scanning the QR code. The campaign also includes 300 giveaway prizes (10 winners daily for 30 days).

Colombo Stock Exchange rose as the ASPI gained 0.39% (83.87 pts) to 21,508.86, with banks leading turnover at Rs 41.8 million. Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company proposed a first and final dividend of Rs 25 per share for the year ended March 31.

Toyota Lanka held a groundbreaking ceremony for its flagship showroom in Bambalapitiya, which will feature contemporary architecture, interactive vehicle displays and test drives designed by Design Consortium.

SLIIT Business School study finds many Sri Lankan shoppers still prefer cash-on-delivery due to security, privacy and payment concerns, creating a digital trust gap that may hinder e-commerce growth. The study urges stronger payment security, data protection, authentication and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Dividend · Rs 25.00 · XD Aug 7, 2026

First And Final dividend of LKR 25/share; XD 2026-08-07; record 2026-08-10; payable 2026-08-28; FY 2025/26

Sri Lanka's Colombo Stock Exchange closed down: ASPI fell 0.50% to 21,424.71 with market turnover of Rs.1.089 billion and banks leading turnover at Rs.221.1 million. Merchant Bank (MBSL) set a rights reference price of Rs.0.30 and its stock closed down 5.31% at Rs.10.70.

The ASPI fell 1.07% (233.18 points) to 21,532.38 as investors sold amid renewed Middle East conflict concerns. Market turnover was over Rs 1bn, foreign investors were net sellers of about Rs 56mn, with banks and food & beverage sectors leading activity.

A 31-member Indian SME delegation from the Federation of Indian Export Organisations held B2B networking sessions with Sri Lankan businesses at the Ceylon Chamber (8–10 July 2026) to explore trade, sourcing and partnership opportunities across pharmaceuticals, engineering, apparel, food/agriculture and infrastructure.

Sri Lanka Brand Conclave 2026 will be held on 28 July at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, featuring global marketing speakers and sessions on AI, creativity and digital transformation, with marketing leaders from Singer Sri Lanka and Dialog Axiata participating.

SLIIT Business School study finds many Sri Lankan shoppers still prefer cash-on-delivery due to lack of trust in online payments; platform quality, payment authentication, privacy and reliability were identified as key drivers of consumer confidence.

Keells supermarkets (John Keells Group) will accept Dialog Pay at its 150 stores nationwide, enabling scan-and-pay transactions and offering complimentary Dialog data rewards on eligible payments.

The Ceylon Chamber hosted a B2B session (8–10 July 2026) for a 31-member FIEO Indian export delegation to connect Indian SMEs (pharmaceuticals, engineering, apparel, food, infrastructure) with Sri Lankan companies to explore sourcing, market expansion and commercial partnerships.

Prosoft Research and Insights says consumer sentiment dipped across the first half of 2026 but rose to 79 in June from 75 in May. Despite fluctuations and rising inflation, consumer purchase behaviour remained broadly stable year‑on‑year, warranting monitoring into H2 2026.

A 31-member FIEO-led Indian business delegation visited Sri Lanka (8–10 July 2026) to explore trade and B2B partnerships across pharmaceuticals, engineering, apparel, food/agriculture and infrastructure. Bilateral merchandise trade reached about $7.2bn in 2025–26 and Sri Lanka's exports to India rose nearly 160% over five years.

CSE ended an eight-session slide as the ASPI rose 0.31% to 21,765.56 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.25% to 6,081.43. Turnover topped Rs.2bn with foreign net outflows of Rs.673mn; top contributors included Ceylon Cold Stores, Haycarb, John Keells and RIL, while banks (Commercial Bank, Sampath) led turnover.

Colombo market fell for an eighth session as ASPI dropped 0.60% (130.78 pts) to 21,697.72 amid renewed Middle East tensions, with turnover over Rs.1.4bn and foreign net outflow of Rs.91.7m. Declines were led by Commercial Bank, Melstacorp, Hayleys and John Keells, while capital goods, food & beverage and banking drove turnover.

Colombo Stock Exchange closed up on Friday as the ASPI rose 0.31% (67.84 pts) to 21,765.56, ending a week-long losing streak; turnover was 2 billion rupees. Top positive contributors were Ceylon Cold Stores, Haycarb and Dialog Axiata.

Sri Lanka's ASPI fell 0.60% to 21,697.72 as markets slowed amid escalation in the Middle East and global instability. Seylan Bank, Lanka IOC and Malwatte Valley Plantations were among gainers while Commercial Bank, Melstacorp, Lion Brewery and Hayleys led declines; Vidullanka authorised a first gross dividend of Rs0.20 per share to be dispatched by Aug 7, 2026.

Parliament approved a new four-tier National Tariff Policy (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%) and two export orders covering 8,225 HS codes, replacing the prior 0/15/20% bands. The government also set a phased CESS removal through 2029 to lower intermediate and consumer import costs and support exports.

The ASPI fell 0.61% (133.80 pts) to 21,828.50, extending its slide to a seventh straight session. Market turnover was Rs.2.25bn on 210.1m shares with foreign net selling of Rs.22.5m and major negative contributors including Sampath, Hayleys, Dialog, LOLC and HNB.

DarazMall's opening of Daraz Sri Lanka's 7.7 Super Savings Sale drove nearly 10x sales growth for official brand stores; participating brands saw ~8x orders, store visits rose 5x and average order value increased threefold.

Colombo Stock Exchange fell for a sixth straight session as the ASPI dropped 0.54% to 21,962.30. Turnover exceeded Rs.1.5bn with foreigners net sellers of Rs.185m; major drags included Melstacorp, John Keells, Carson Cumberbatch and CIC Holdings, while Access Engineering and Chevron Lubricants featured among top contributors.

The National Chamber of Exporters opened applications for the 34th NCE Export Awards, closing Sept 30, 2026, with the awards ceremony on Dec 11 at Shangri‑La Colombo. Ex-Pack Corrugated Cartons PLC is the main sponsor and Dialog Enterprise is the event's digital technology partner.