News & market updates

George Steuart & Co. sold a 17.99% stake in HVA Foods PLC, disposing 44 million shares for Rs. 189.7 million at Rs. 4.30–4.60 per share. As of end-December 2025 George Steuart held a 72.39% stake before the sale; HVA reported net liabilities of Rs.0.26 per share and the stock closed at Rs.4.40.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority held a virtual workshop on 10 February 2026 to guide more than 80 Sri Lankan food and beverage exporters on Saudi regulatory procedures and export requirements. The session covered fisheries, poultry, processed foods, fruits and vegetables, beverages and herbal products.

International Distillers Limited (IDL) won the CIPM Great HR Quiz 2026 on their debut appearance, beating 74 other teams and also taking the Food, Beverage and Distillery category. The victory highlights IDL’s HR capabilities and complements its profile as Sri Lanka’s largest local spirits manufacturer with growing exports.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board ran a Market Exposure and Capacity Building Programme alongside BIOFACH 2026 (9–14 Feb 2026) to prepare Sri Lankan SMEs in spices, coconut, dehydrated fruits and coffee for EU market access; activities included workshops, certification guidance, factory and supermarket visits and B2B matchmaking with EU importers.

CBL Group acquired PT Tri Jaya Tangguh Indonesia, a large-scale coconut processing facility, in a transaction exceeding $25 million to increase capacity, diversify geographic risk and strengthen its global coconut milk export position.

Dividend · Rs 28.00 · XD Feb 27, 2026

Fourth Interim dividend of LKR 28/share; XD 2026-02-27; record 2026-03-02; payable 2026-03-19; FY ended 31st December 2025

JETRO Executive VP Okumura said JETRO aims to position Sri Lanka as an export hub linking India, the Middle East and Africa and will send a Japanese business delegation to Sri Lanka next month. She cited political stability, improving macro conditions and port infrastructure as drivers, noting interest across manufacturing, logistics, agri/food processing, electronics and mineral supply links.

Coca-Cola is running high-energy fan activations across 14 locations in Sri Lanka for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, featuring a branded truck with a mini cricket pitch, mini parades and partnered fan parks with live match screenings.

The ASPI fell 0.07% to 23,882.82 in a volatile session with turnover of Rs.4.2bn and foreign net outflow of Rs.42.3m. Leading negative contributors were CTHR, PABC, DIMO, DFCC and RICH, while Softlogic Capital and Prime Lands led turnover.

Sri Lanka's manufacturing PMI was 56.1 and services PMI 64.5 in January 2026, indicating continued expansion in both but at a slower pace than December 2025 (60.9 and 67.9). Growth was driven by higher new orders, production and employment in manufacturing and strong wholesale/retail, accommodation and financial services activity in services.

Hayleys PLC held the Chairman’s Awards 2025, with Haycarb PLC winning the Overall Award for innovation in specialty activated carbon for silicon‑carbon anode materials and Hayleys Fabric PLC winning an ESG award for a smart energy‑saving stenter system that cuts fuel use and CO₂ emissions. The awards highlighted innovations across energy transition, agriculture and logistics supporting exports and sustainability.

EDB, the Sri Lanka Embassy in Riyadh and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority ran a webinar on SFDA export registration procedures for Sri Lankan exporters, attended by over 90 companies. Presentations covered registration, facility approval and inspections for foods, beverages, fisheries and herbal products; Saudi was Sri Lanka's 23rd export market in 2025 with USD 137.85m exports (+13.3%).

IFC committed $28.6 million (part of a $40m package) to CBL Group to support its acquisition of PT Tri Jaya Tangguh Indonesia and the expansion of CBL’s biscuit facility in Ghana to extend the group's presence across Asia and Africa.

IFC committed $28.6 million (part of a $40 million package) to CBL Group to fund its acquisition of PT Tri Jaya Tangguh in Indonesia and expand CBL's biscuit facility in Ghana. IFC will also provide advisory support aimed at job creation and increased female participation.

Hayleys PLC reported consolidated Profit After Tax of Rs.14.02 billion for the nine months to 31 Mar 2026, with consolidated revenue up 16% y-o-y to Rs.421.40 billion. The board approved a Rs.9 billion rights issue, paid an interim dividend of Rs.6 per share, and Fitch reaffirmed its 'AAA (lka)' rating.

Hayleys PLC reported consolidated Profit After Tax of Rs. 14.02 bn for the nine months to 31 March 2026 while consolidated revenue rose 16% to Rs. 421.40 bn. The Board approved a Rs. 9 bn rights issue and paid an interim dividend of Rs. 6 per share; Fitch reaffirmed its 'AAA (lka)' rating.

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.

Enchanteur is running an islandwide Valentine’s promotion in Sri Lanka, partnering with fashion retailers to offer shoppers the chance to win clothing-store gift vouchers when they purchase its fragrances.

Sri Lanka will participate in BIOFACH 2026 (10–13 Feb 2026) in Nuremberg with a Sri Lanka Country Pavilion organized by the EDB and NOCU featuring eight leading organic exporters. The pavilion will showcase certified organic products including PGI Pure Organic Ceylon Cinnamon and Pure Ceylon Tea and include SME promotion and regulatory cooperation to boost organic exports.

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.

Dankotuwa Porcelain (DPL.N0000) was one of six Sri Lankan exhibitors at Ambiente/Christmasworld/Creativeworld Frankfurt 2026, where exhibitors reported strong international buyer interest and promising export inquiries, supporting potential growth in Sri Lankan consumer-goods exports.

Mild Earth launched 'Wild Mist Water', a premium Sri Lankan spice-based brewed wellness beverage in four variants, to be sold via its e-commerce site and selected boutique hotels/resorts from an export-grade facility, with early export talks for Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Rights issue · 1:10 at Rs 9.00 · XD Feb 2, 2026

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.

Sunshine Holdings reported 9MFY26 consolidated revenue up 8.1% to Rs. 48.9bn and EBIT up 1.2% to Rs. 7.5bn, while PAT fell 8.8% to Rs. 4.3bn. Healthcare remained the largest revenue driver but faced margin pressure from new pharma pricing, while agribusiness (Watawala) posted strong palm oil-led gains.

Cargills (Ceylon) Plc reported 3Q revenue of Rs.70.8bn (+14.5% YoY), EBITDA Rs.7.3bn (+29%) and PAT Rs.2.9bn (+79.3%), with 9M PAT at Rs.7.9bn (+53.8%). Operations were impacted by Cyclone Ditwah but have resumed; Restaurants will exit TGI Fridays and focus on KFC.

Mild Earth launched Wild Mist Water, a premium Sri Lankan spice-based brewed wellness drink in four variants produced at an export-grade facility and sold via its e-commerce site and select upmarket hotels and boutiques, with export talks for Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Sustagen (Reckitt Sri Lanka) launched a national 'Healthy Ageing' initiative promoting its 24‑nutrient formula to support activeness, immunity and cognitive strength as Sri Lanka’s over‑60 population rises toward one‑in‑five by 2030.

Salam Ramadan 2026 will run 27 Feb–1 Mar 2026 along Green Path, Colombo, and the organisers are inviting vendors, hotels, F&B operators, retailers and service providers to participate in a curated festival with 50+ stalls and citywide activations after attracting 15,000 visitors in 2025.