News & market updates

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva arrived in Sri Lanka for a three-day visit to assess Cyclone Ditwah damage and to discuss post-disaster recovery and adapting the country's Extended Fund Facility with the president, prime minister and central bank governor.

Prime Lands Residencies PLC won the Silver Award in the Land and Property Companies sector at the TAGS Awards 2025. It is the fourth consecutive year the company has been honoured, highlighting its corporate reporting, transparency and sustainability practices.

Sri Lanka and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to formalise economic policy dialogue and to pursue a roadmap including an industrial economic corridor with a working group to operationalize it. Presentations covered foreign investment policy, export capacity and JETRO and Japanese firms shared insights on the business environment.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva arrived in Sri Lanka (Feb 16–18, 2026) to meet government officials, assess Cyclone Ditwah damage and discuss IMF support for recovery and building greater resilience.

Prime Lands Residencies PLC (PLR.N0000) reported Q3 FY2025/26 revenue up 43% y/y to Rs. 2.80 billion and profit after tax up 144% y/y to Rs. 562.3 million. Growth was driven by accelerated construction progress (Tower C topping off) and first-time revenue from The Seasons Colombo 08; nine-month PAT rose 68% to Rs. 1.50 billion.

Access Engineering will invest $6.9 million to establish a cyclotron-based radiopharmaceutical production facility, with commissioning scheduled for today; it holds a 60% stake in Access Medical Tracers Ltd.

Chinthaka Jayaweera has joined the boards of Bukit Darah (BUKI.N0000), Carson Cumberbatch (CARS.N0000), Equity Two (ETWO.N0000) and Pegasus Hotels (PEG.N0000) as an Independent Non-Executive Director. He was VP and Chief Internal Audit Executive at A.P. Moller Maersk with 28 years' experience in governance, risk and finance.

CSE reports ASPI rose 269% from 6,129.21 in 2020 to 22,624.31 at end‑2025 (24.32% CAGR), with record ASPI, S&P SL20 and market cap above LKR 8.46bn in Jan 2026. The exchange cites 25 new 2025 listings, multiple new bond instruments (Blue, Green, Sharia, High Yield Social Sustainability, Orange) and plans to use infrastructure/municipal bonds to fund cyclone recovery and long‑term projects.

The Board of Investment will host the Sri Lanka Investment Forum 2026 on 30 March at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, focusing on green transition and sector-led investments including renewable energy, green finance, services, manufacturing, infrastructure and leisure. The EU, ADB and ESCAP are supporting the event, which includes parallel sector sessions and a closed-door EU–SL investor dialogue.

Macktiles has launched Macktiles Australia in Victoria as part of a deliberate internationalisation push; the company cites a manufacturing capacity of 44,000 sqm/day and a reported 40% share of the Sri Lankan market. The move extends its global footprint and showroom network, now 50 locations.

Lankem Ceylon PLC expanded its partnership with Axalta Coating Systems to introduce advanced industrial, marine and powder coating solutions across Sri Lanka. The move targets infrastructure, energy, agriculture, heavy equipment, rail and steel sectors to improve corrosion protection and reduce maintenance needs.

The Central Bank released its February 2026 Monetary Policy Report, noting inflation turned positive in August 2025 and is projected to move towards the 5% target by H2-2026 while the Bank maintained an accommodative monetary policy stance. The report warns of global headwinds and cites strengthening domestic demand and core inflation stabilising around the target.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will visit Sri Lanka from Feb 16–18, 2026 to meet government officials, assess Cyclone Ditwah damage, and discuss IMF support for recovery and resilience efforts.

ADB's new Country Director reaffirmed the Bank's continued commitment to support Sri Lanka, including sustained assistance, budgetary support and planned investments from 2026, with a focus on post-Cyclone Ditwah recovery and reconstruction. The President stressed the need for environmental restoration in the Central Highlands.

ASPI rose 0.24% to 23,709.84 with turnover above Rs.8.5bn and foreign investors net sold Rs.986.2m. Top positive contributors were HNB, RICH, CTEA, COMB and AEL; TKYO led materials-sector turnover (Rs.2.05bn) and JINS recorded a 7.8% price gain.

Dividend · Rs 4.00 · XD Mar 31, 2026

Final dividend of LKR 4/share; XD 2026-03-31; record 2026-04-01; payable 2026-04-23; FY ended 31st December 2025

President Dissanayake announced a plan to rapidly revitalize the transport sector and introduce the Lanka Metro Transit bus service, with buses expected by August for a pilot on six main Colombo-area corridors. The plan also includes bus cluster companies, multimodal hubs, rail upgrades and digital systems.

Sri Lanka and Thailand finalized draft MoU and an Agreement to recruit 10,000 Sri Lankan workers for sectors including construction, agriculture, food & beverage, industry, education, aquatic processing and mining; drafts will go for government approvals and a ministerial signing is expected in Q1 2026.

Prime Constructions (Pvt) Ltd secured the C1 grade from the Construction Industry Development Authority in 2.5 years, enhancing its credibility and competitiveness for large-scale bids. The grading reflects its assessed financial strength, technical capacity, staffing and project experience.

ASPI closed down 0.01% at 23,652.51 with turnover of LKR 4.8bn and net foreign outflow of LKR 42.7m. Banks led turnover (30%), food & beverage and capital goods together contributed 31%; top negatives were RICH, CFIN, JKH, RIL and AEL, while RAL saw net foreign buying and crossings were led by COCO, COMB and DOCK.

Home Lands launched four new resort apartment projects totaling 1,000 units in Greater Colombo. Five partner banks (Commercial Bank, HNB, Sampath, NDB and DFCC) are supporting the Home Lands Wealth Builder payment plan, offering flexible financing including up to 100% funding.

ADB reaffirmed continued long-term support for Sri Lanka and formally introduced new Country Director Shannon Cowlin, focusing on post-Cyclone Ditwah recovery, resilience and ecosystem restoration in the Central Highlands, with planned investments and budgetary support from 2026 onward.

Treasury Secretary said Sri Lanka has agreements covering nearly 99% of external debt and has restructured over 92%, cutting public debt to about 105% of GDP and is expected to secure an additional $350m from the IMF after the fifth review. Cyclone Ditwah caused $4.1bn in damage (with $1.62bn needed in 2026) and recovery spending has been incorporated into the 2026 Budget without derailing fiscal consolidation.

FAO Representative urges Sri Lanka to rebuild farming after Cyclone Ditwah with a resilience-focused reform agenda rather than simply repairing damage. Priorities include diversified cropping, build-back-better irrigation and roads, expanded crop insurance and rapid disaster financing, and stronger early-warning-to-action systems.

IHCL signed an agreement to develop a 220-key Taj-branded beachfront hotel in Weligama, Sri Lanka, including 80 luxury apartments and multiple F&B, spa and event facilities, in partnership with Beryll Group.

Ajay Banga (World Bank) warns 1.2 billion young people will enter the workforce in the next 10–15 years while only about 400 million jobs are expected, creating a vast shortfall. The World Bank proposes a three-pillar jobs strategy (infrastructure and skills, business-friendly rules, and scaling businesses) focused on infrastructure, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism and manufacturing.

Marriott reported record APEC development in 2025—187 organic deals adding more than 28,000 rooms to its pipeline—and confirmed a Ritz‑Carlton Reserve planned for Pottuvil, Sri Lanka (est. opening 2032).