Sri Lanka stocks close up, led by construction and banks

Friday January 2, 2026 2:53 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Colombo Stock Exchange closed up on the first day of trading in 2026, provisional data on its site showed.

The All Share Price Index was up 1.26 percent, or 286.15 points, at 22,910.46. The S&P SL20 was up 0.63 percent, or 38.57 points, at 6,195.95.

Turnover was 5.1 billion rupees. Most of this came from capital goods stocks.

Top contributors were ACL Cables (up 9.30 rupees at 99.10), Commercial Bank (up 2.25 rupees at 203.00), Access Engineering (up 2.70 rupees at 76.00), and DFCC Bank (up rupees at).

Sierra Cables (up 1.90 rupees at 37.20) was among the most actively traded shares.

Construction related shares and bank shares were attracting investor interest as reconstruction work followed in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, brokers have pointed out. (Colombo/Jan2/2025)

Friday January 2, 2026 3:10 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved amendments to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) listing rules to provide greater flexibility regarding the minimum public holding (MPH) requirement for companies listing through the introduction method, the regulator said.

The flexibility is given to boost the share liquidity in the market under its one of 12 key strategic initiatives, the SEC said.

“The amendments reflect a joint effort by the SEC and CSE, underscoring strong collaboration between the regulator and the Exchange to address evolving market needs while maintaining market integrity, transparency, and investor protection,” the SEC said in a statement.

The new amendment will allow entities seeking listing by way of an Introduction on the Main Board or Diri Savi Board without minimum public holding at the time of submitting the initial listing application.

However, those entities will have to follow a phased minimum public holding compliance framework. The amendment allows firms to achieve minimum 50% compliance with minimum public holding requirement within 12 months and full compliance within 18 months from the date of listing.

It will also allow non-public shareholders who have held their shares for a minimum period of eighteen months prior to the date of the initial listing application to divest up to a maximum 2 percent of their shares each month during the six months commencing from the date of listing.

This, however, is subject to a lock-in requirement of 30 percent of their respective shareholdings as at the date of listing, until minimum public holding compliance or 18 months from the date of listing, whichever occurs first.

Before the amendment, non-public shareholders cannot divest their stakes for the first six months from the date of listing.

Under the new amendments, entities should include clear disclosures in the introductory document confirming their obligation to meet non-public shareholders requirements within the prescribed timelines.

The SEC also said it has introduced certain enforcement actions which will be implemented in the event of non-compliance with the minimum public holding requirement.

“The revised framework is expected to encourage more companies to consider listing via introduction, thereby broadening market participation, improving liquidity, and contributing to the overall development of Sri Lanka’s capital market,” the SEC said.

“Issuers, investors, and market intermediaries will benefit from a more enabling yet well-regulated listing environment.”

Sri Lanka’s main The All Share Price Index (ASPI) gained 41.7 percent year-on-year in 2025 amid lower interest rates maintained by the Central Bank. Lack of share volumes has been one of the major issues investors have faced when trading shares in Sri Lanka. (Colombo/January 02/2025)

Friday January 2, 2026 12:00 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board has sought a tariff hike to increase revenues by 11.57 percent including a recovery of part of the losses in the last quarter.

The tariff revision proposal for the first quarter of 2026 was made considering factors such as fuel availability and prices, hydro inflows, plant maintenance schedules, energy demand, interest rates, transmission and distribution AR adjustments, reconciliation of actual BST in previous periods, and government policies to develop, CEB said.

“Based on the above analysis, a deficit of LKR 13,094 million has been estimated for the period from January to March 2026 requiring a tariff increase of 11.57%,” the utility said in its proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka.

“Any variations in the estimate, whether an excess or a shortfall, will be accounted for in the BSTA and considered in the next tariff revision.”

CEB said it was proposing a revision to the current tariff structure to ensure financial and operational stability and to mitigate potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply.

“The seasonal forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology (Annex V) indicate no clear or consistent rainfall signal at the national level for January-March 2026. Accordingly, hydropower inflows are expected to be near normal on average, though subject to considerable uncertainty and short-term variability.

“Overall, the January-March 2026 period does not point to a strong hydropower advantage, and dispatch was therefore prepared based on near-normal inflows, with a downside risk in major hydropower catchments.” (Colombo/Jan2/2025)

Friday January 2, 2026 11:28 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has sold 1,000 million rupees of treasury bills offered on tap at an average rate of 8.45 percent, the public debt management office said, bringing the total of bills sold this week to 58.39 billion rupees.

The debt office sold 12-month bills at 8.45 percent.

On Wednesday (31) the debt office raised 58.39 billion rupees of 3, 6 and 12 month bills.

Read more
Sri Lanka Treasury auction yields rise, 6-month up 32bp

Settlement date is January 2. (Colombo/Jan2/2026)

Friday January 2, 2026 11:17 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has sold 2,500 million rupees of bonds offered on tap at an average rate set at an auction this week, bringing the total of bonds sold in the week to 45.68 billion, data from the Ministry of Finance – Public Debt Management Office showed.

The debt office sold a 01 July 2037 maturity bond (LKB01237G019) at a weighted average yield rate of 10.90 percent.

On Tuesday, 43.18 billion rupees in 2030 and 2037 bonds were sold.

Read more
Sri Lanka sells Rs43.18bn in 2030 and 2037 bonds

Total market subscription was 3,416 million rupees.

Settlement date was January 1. (Colombo/Jan2/2026)

Friday January 2, 2026 10:47 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee was trading at 309.75/85 to the US dollar in the spot market on Friday, weaker from 309.45/60 the previous day, dealers said, while bond yields extended recovery for the second consecutive day.

The rupee opened at 309.30/60 before trending down, dealers said.

The rupee has weakened from 293.25/75 to the US dollar last year, amid record current account surpluses and improvement in budget, denying the usual scapegoats macro-economists point to after depreciating currencies.

A bond maturing on 15.02.2028 was quoted at 9.00/05 percent, down from 9.00/10 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.12.2028 was quoted at 9.20/25 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.10.2029 was quoted at 9.70/75 percent, down from 9.70/78 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.07.2030 was quoted at 9.80/82 percent, down from 9.80/85 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.03.2031 was quoted at 9.95/10.05 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.12.2032 was quoted at 10.32/40 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.11.2033 was quoted at 10.45/55 percent.

The telegraphic transfer rates for the American dollar were 306.0000 buying, 313.0000 selling; the British pound was 411.8307 buying, and 423.1925 selling, and the euro was 357.7531 buying, 369.1163 selling.

On the Colombo Stock Exchange, the indices were trending up, with the ASPI up 0.81 percent, or 182.68 points, at 22,806; and the S&P SL20 was up 0.52 percent, or 32.02 points, at 6,189. (Colombo/Jan2/2026)

Friday January 2, 2026 8:26 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s current foreign exchange inflows from exports, remittances and gross services exceeded imports by 504 million US dollars in November 2025, official data shows.

Sri Lanka’s exports were 1,047 million US dollars in November, down from 1,149 in October.

Remittances also fell to 673 million US dollars in November from 712 million in October.

Gross services were 560 million dollars, up from 495 million dollars. Services included tourism revenues of 251 million US dollars.

Services outflows were 290 million US dollars with travel abroad estimated at 97.8 million US dollars up from 49 million in October.

Total gross current inflows were 2,282 million US dollars, which was 504 million dollars above imports.

There was a decline in intermediate imports in November 2025. Apparel imports which are a key input for exports fell to 203.2 million dollars from 257 million dollars in October.

Intermediate imports fell from 1,161 million US dollars in October to 952 million in November. (Colombo/Jan02/2025)