News & market updates

Commercial Bank of Ceylon won six awards — the most by any Sri Lankan bank — at the 2026 Asian Banking & Finance Awards in Singapore. The awards covered Retail, Wholesale and Corporate & Investment Banking, highlighting its AI-powered SME credit underwriting, green financing and its Rs.15bn 2025 Green Bond alongside loan book growth past Rs.2tn.

JICA's new Chief Representative Shigeo Honzu paid a courtesy call on the Sri Lanka Export Development Board to discuss continuing and expanding JICA-EDB cooperation, focusing on support for exporters, market access, capacity-building and future development initiatives.

SriLankan Aviation College (SLAC), the training arm of SriLankan Airlines, has been recognised by IATA as an IATA Authorised Training Centre (ATC) Preferred Partner for 2026, its second consecutive year and among the world's top 10 IATA training centres. The status reflects strong programme delivery and student enrolments, reinforcing SLAC's role in regional aviation and travel training.

Ceylon Chamber will host a Business Networking Session with a 30-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation on 28 July 2026 at the Hilton Colombo Residences to explore trade, investment and partnerships across sectors including construction, healthcare, IT, renewable energy, tourism and food processing.

FITIS announced partners for FITIS Cricket 6's 2026, to be held on 26 July 2026 at Thurstan College Cricket Grounds, naming Hikvision | IT Gallery Computers as Title Partner and Inflow Technologies, ESOFT Uni, ASUS, Acer (Metropolitan Technologies) and ViewSonic as supporting partners.

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust launched the Moonamal Award to recognise built-environment and public-policy projects in Sri Lanka that promote ecological design and human–nature coexistence; applications open August 2026 and the inaugural winner will be announced mid-2027.

First Capital Holdings PLC unveiled a refurbished Negombo branch with modern interiors and an expanded team to enhance customer service. The upgrade, at one of its top-performing locations, reflects ongoing investment by First Capital (a subsidiary of Janashakthi Limited) in client touchpoints.

Ceylinco Life (Ceylinco Holdings, CINS.N0000) hosted 10 winning families (40 participants) on an all-expenses-paid Malaysia tour as part of the 19th 'Family Savari' promotion, featuring visits to Kuala Lumpur landmarks and Genting Highlands.

A University of Peradeniya study found foods made with 7 Star Chakki Atta are low-GI: chapati GI 45, roti GI 44 (37 with chickpea curry) and puri GI 50, with glycemic loads of 16–19, supporting their suitability as everyday staples.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI rose 0.40% (up 85.60 pts) to 21,235.16 as banks led turnover (LKR 76.8m) and the S&P SL20 gained 0.73%. Commercial Bank announced the final allotment for its Basel III Tier-2 debenture issue, which was oversubscribed with applications for 244.23m debentures (LKR 24.42bn) and 150m debentures allocated to identified investors.

The CSE, together with the SEC and CA Sri Lanka, held issuer forums in Monaragala (16 July) and Batticaloa (18 July) to educate SMEs on alternative capital raising, IPOs, the SME Creditworthiness Rating Framework and the CSE's Empower Board. Panels featured industry and advisory speakers offering practical guidance on listing and financial management.

HNB PLC has partnered with Lanka Commercial Trading to offer exclusive leasing for Yanmar and Solis tractors and Samurai Naca harvesters, providing Govi Saviya financing, waived first-year Prestige Prime card fee, insurance and service discounts to improve farmers' access to machinery.

The Colombo Tea Traders' Association held its 132nd AGM on 17 July, re‑electing Lushantha de Silva as chairman and appointing a Board that includes Kelani Valley and Malwatte Valley Plantations. CTTA emphasised value addition, premium branding and sustainable reforms to boost Ceylon Tea exports.

Sri Lanka Corporate Director Summit urged companies to raise board governance standards to help rebuild the country's investment appeal. Speakers including Minor International's CEO and LYNEAR Wealth's MD stressed board quality, independence, faster decision-making, AI readiness and sustainability as investor priorities.

The Colombo Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Commission launched the 'A Share for Everyone, A Unit for Everyone' initiative at investor forums in Monaragala (16 July) and Batticaloa (18 July), attracting over 500 participants to broaden investor participation and provide investment coupons and education.

New Anthoney's is scaling antibiotic-free Harithahari chicken to counter routine antibiotic use in Sri Lanka's poultry, where a study found 98% of farms use antimicrobials and tetracycline resistance reached 81.8%.

Union Bank of Colombo (UBC.N0000) hosted Pensioners' Day and launched a competitive pension loan of up to Rs. 8 million at the bank's lowest interest rates, including Rs. 30,000 in annual PickMe rides for government pensioners. The event included partners such as Nawaloka Hospitals providing health screenings and services.

NDB Wealth marked its 34th anniversary with a client engagement event in Kandy, focusing on family business succession and the implications of global geopolitical shifts for investment and wealth planning.

Ceylon Energy launched Apollo Energy (Delaware, USA) at its 'Energize 2026' forum, an investment platform to connect investors with curated high-yield energy and infrastructure projects across Sri Lanka and the region. The event also featured global partners discussing transmission, smart grids and digital infrastructure.

SLCGE has launched a renewed membership drive inviting SME apparel manufacturers across Sri Lanka to join a unified industry platform to strengthen the apparel sector and expand export opportunities.

Professor Narayanage Jayantha Dewasiri co-edited Review of Finance Literature – Volume 6, published by Emerald Publishing and indexed Scopus Q1 / SCImago Q1 with a 2025 CiteScore of 8.4. The volume contains 11 review chapters on topics including non-performing loans, loan portfolio diversification, financial inclusion and sustainability.

LOLC General Insurance and Seylan Bank PLC held a 'League of Greatness' felicitation night celebrating their bancassurance partnership, which operates across 104 Seylan Bank branches and has continued since 2013.

The Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (with the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka) will run public insurance awareness programmes in Kurunegala on 23 July 2026 and Kuliyapitiya on 24 July 2026 under the theme 'Insurance for All'; a Kurunegala roadshow will feature all 29 licensed insurers and a career desk.

Douglas and Sons Ltd (DSL) promoted Jayendra Pinidiyapathirage to Joint Managing Director; he had served as Deputy Managing Director since January 2023, joined the company in March 1989, and will work with Chairman & MD Saroj Perera.

HNB Life (HASU.N0000) has launched the HNB Life Mobile App, giving customers on-the-go access to policy details, requests and support; the app is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The move follows recent digital upgrades including AI integrations and the HANA chatbot.

Sri Lanka's gross official reserves fell to $6.4bn from $6.8bn, with the central bank saying higher import outflows—driven by petrol and vehicle imports—caused the decline rather than FX intervention. The bank expects reserves to recover with incoming IMF, ADB and World Bank disbursements.

Sri Lanka's rupee closed at 336.35/40 to the US dollar in the spot market, while bond yields were broadly steady — e.g. the 15.09.2027 bond at 10.30/40%, 15.10.2028 at 10.70/80% and the 15.12.2029 bond at 11.20/30%.