The CSE and SEC launched the 'A Share for Everyone, A Unit for Everyone' investor outreach at Monaragala and Batticaloa, drawing over 500 participants and offering investment coupons to early attendees. The programme will run nationwide to broaden access to equities through stockbrokers and unit trust managers, with participants including HNB Stockbrokers and Softlogic Asset Management.
Surveyors' Institute of Sri Lanka will celebrate its centennial on 2 August 2026, marking 100 years of service to surveying, mapping and land administration. The institute will hold technical sessions and a gala, and is promoting digital land administration, geospatial innovation and stronger professional standards.
Vietjet will launch its first scheduled Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City service on 18 Aug 2026 (three times weekly) and is offering a limited-time promotion with Eco fares from USD90 one-way (taxes included) plus complimentary 20kg checked baggage for bookings 20–23 Jul 2026.
Sri Lanka's rupee closed at 336.35/50 per US$ (from 336.25/35), while bond yields were broadly steady; the 15.09.2027 bond closed at 10.35/40% and longer-dated yields ranged about 11.20–12.60%.
IMF's Ranil Salgado said rising oil prices from a widening Middle East war and a weak El Niño monsoon are the biggest downside risks to India's FY27 GDP, and the IMF cut its 2026/27 growth forecast by 10 bps to 6.4%. The IMF will reassess India's national accounts after the statistics office rebases GDP to 2022/23, expected by end-2026.
Cargills (Ceylon) PLC dominated CSE trading with block crossings of Rs. 2.26 billion, taking its total turnover to Rs. 2.88 billion and helping push total market turnover to Rs. 3.27 billion. The ASPI fell 62.37 points to 21,145.73, while Melstacorp accounted for Rs. 181 million of turnover.
Sri Lanka's NCPI rose to 6.5% year-on-year in June 2026, up from 5.4% in May, as the All Items index increased 1.6% month-on-month to 222.3. The monthly rise was driven by a 2.5% jump in the Food index (250.5), while non-food inflation stood at 9.3% year-on-year.
Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI fell 0.22% (47.45 pts) to 21,160.65 with turnover Rs 3.28bn, led by food & staples retailing and large crossings dominated by Cargills. Dialog, John Keells, Aitken Spence and Lanka Ashok Leyland were top gainers while Ceylinco Insurance, Harischandra Mills and HNB were top losers.
Ceylon Chamber forum identified solar expansion, predictable tariffs/procurement, streamlined approvals, improved financing, net metering, and energy storage as priorities to accelerate Sri Lanka's renewable energy transition. Participants flagged barriers including policy inconsistency, land and grid constraints, and payment delays.
Renewable EnergyIT & Digital
Daily FT·Jul 21, 2026·Management or board change·SLND
Serendib Land PLC has appointed Rajiv Dharmendra, CEO of MAS Intimates, as an Independent Non‑Executive Director. Dharmendra has over 21 years at MAS Holdings and was also appointed a Non‑Executive Director of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation effective 1 Jan 2025.
Sri Lankan exporters must prepare for new EU sustainability rules—EmpCo (from 27 Sep 2026), PPWR (from 12 Aug 2026) and EUDR (due diligence from 30 Dec 2026)—which expand scrutiny of claims and supply chains and carry penalties up to €2m or 4% of turnover.
Secondary bond market was quiet ahead of the 22 July Monetary Policy announcement; yields closed broadly steady to marginally higher with select tenors at 10.30%, 12.00% and 12.00%. Net liquidity surplus rose to Rs.148.13bn, SDFR deposits Rs.103.38bn, USD/LKR ~336.25/336.30.
ASPI fell 0.92% (197.31 pts) to 21,208.10, its lowest in over three months, with 193 counters down and market turnover at around Rs.2.6bn. DIAL, COMB, RICH, JKH and CARS were the major contributors to the decline.
Consumer Staples (FMCG)
Daily FT·Jul 21, 2026·Management or board change·COMB
Commercial Bank of Ceylon MD/CEO Sanath Manatunge has been appointed Chairman of the Employers' Federation of Ceylon at the organisation's 97th AGM. He succeeds Dinesh Weerakkody, will serve alongside Vice Chairman Dinal Peiris (Lanka Aluminium) and holds other sector leadership roles.
The Planters' Association of Ceylon warns organised theft of high-value crops (pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, avocado) is costing the plantation sector millions, eroding export competitiveness and deterring investment. The PA calls for tougher penalties, traceability and verified loss data as producers spend tens of millions on security.
IGT I Outsourcing Lanka moved into Port City Colombo and has grown to just over 500 staff serving international clients, highlighting Port City’s role in boosting Sri Lanka’s ICT exports (ICT/BPM exports $1.64bn in 2025). The article urges predictable tax treatment after a 2026 amendment changed employee tax in the zone and calls for digital process improvements to keep talent and investment.
Sri Lanka's rupee was quoted at 336.35/40 to the US dollar on Tuesday (from 336.25/35), bond yields were broadly steady, and Rs.140,000 million of Treasury bills are to be auctioned on 22 July.
The Planters' Association has urged the Government to curb organised theft of high-value plantation crops, saying losses may run into millions and one RPC is spending ~Rs.20m over three months on security, deterring investment and harming export competitiveness; it calls for tougher penalties and traceability.
Sri Lanka received 118,935 tourists in the first 19 days of July, a 0.6% YoY decline, with YTD arrivals at just over 1.26m (down 1.72% YoY), as disruptions to Middle Eastern air corridors continue to constrain long-haul European traffic.
The Ceylon Chamber urged policy certainty, faster approvals and stronger procurement and financing frameworks to accelerate Sri Lanka's renewable energy expansion, especially solar. It also recommended net metering, feed-in arrangements, storage standards and grid upgrades to meet rising demand from digitalisation, AI, EVs and data centres.
The Attorney General's Department will institute District Court proceedings to recover Rs.6.221 billion in alleged liquor tax arrears from liquor manufacturers; the Supreme Court has fixed further hearings for 16 November.
Women-led MSMEs secured Rs. 145.5 billion in new loans in 2025/26 under Sri Lanka's first year of the WE Finance Code; outstanding women-led MSME loans stood at Rs. 559 billion (28% of the nearly Rs.2 trillion MSME portfolio) while women held 46% of MSME loan accounts.
Daily FT·Jul 21, 2026·Regulatory or legal·BFN+3Negative
CBSL's Financial Intelligence Unit imposed Rs.14.6m in AML/CFT penalties on 12 reporting institutions; Citizens Development Business Finance Plc was fined Rs.3m, Cargills Bank Rs.2m, and L B Finance and Janashakthi Finance Rs.1m each for failures in reporting, sanctions screening and customer due diligence.
Asian stocks rose as hopes of Middle East mediation pulled Brent down to $88.88/bbl from a one-month high, while investors awaited major tech earnings and monitored rising U.S. Treasury yields and interest-rate expectations.
Oil prices eased as reports of mediation between the U.S. and Iran offset fresh strikes; Brent fell 0.9% to $88.44/bbl and U.S. WTI dropped 0.9% to $82.50/bbl.
EY Global Delivery Services Sri Lanka hosted a Milestones event in Colombo attended by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and nearly 3,500 EY professionals, the largest EY event in Sri Lanka. The PM highlighted the National Digital Economy Strategy, AI-first operations and plans to grow ICT exports.
Sri Lanka Insurance Life will award Rs. 25.3 million under its 2026 Suba Pathum Scholarship programme to 227 students (77 Grade 5, 70 G.C.E. O/L, 74 G.C.E. A/L), with special recognition for six national A/L rankers.
A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the proposed $110bn merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery with a 14‑day restraining order after a lawsuit by 12 states alleging antitrust harms. The companies will remain separate while legal proceedings continue; next hearings set for August.