Cartoon of the Day 18-07-2025: Cartoon – Caption This! (In The Comments)

Secondary market remains subdued amid minimal activity

The secondary bond market continued to exhibit low activity yesterday, extending the muted sentiment seen in the previous sessions.Trading volumes remained extremely limited.

Indices closed in red

The ASPI edged down as a result of price losses in counters such as John Keells Holdings, Commercial Bank and Melstacorp with the turnover crossing Rs. 6.2 bn.

Sri Lanka-India printing corridor presents vision for regional resilience and shared prosperity

A groundbreaking initiative, the potential of the India-Sri Lanka Printing Corridor was highlighted last week at the 8th Round Table Conference in Colombo, positioning itself as a strategic and visionary

Durairatnam, Matsuoka appointed to Tokyo Cement Board

Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC announced the appointment of Jegan Durairatnam and Michio Matsuoka to its board of directors.

SLID - Huwaei CXO Forum 

Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) in partnership with Huawei Sri Lanka, hosted its CXO Forum 2025 on 14 July at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, bringing together over 100 banking and finance leaders to

Granbell Hotel Colombo appoints Shehan Safraz as new General Manager

Granbell Hotel Colombo, a property of Belluna Lanka, the Sri Lankan arm of Belluna Co. Ltd., Japan announced the appointment of Shehan Safraz as its General Manager.

WEBXPAY welcomes former CB Deputy Governor Thassim to Board

Digital finance company WEBXPAY announced the appointment of A. A.M. Thassim, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) as a Non-Executive Director.

VFS Global and NCPC launch youth skilling programme to boost country’s tourism talent

VFS Global has launched the Tourism Skilling Programme in association with NCPC Sri Lanka and the ASSIST Development Foundation. The initiative aims to empower local youth with industry-relevant skills

Eden Investments creates financial products for everyone, not just the elite: Founder

As Sri Lanka’s economy navigates a path toward recovery, Eden Investments founder Dunith De Silva is betting on a model that combines digital finance, local capital retention, and perpetual

BCCS Awards 2025 raises bar with stronger focus on integrity, impact and innovation

Now in its 22nd year, the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability (BCCS) Awards continues to raise the bar for corporate responsibility in Sri Lanka.

Future Automobiles introduces Hamer 4x4 modifications to Sri Lanka

Future Automobiles (Pvt) Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of the Softlogic Group, announced its exclusive partnership with Hamer 4x4 Accessories, a globally respected name in premium off-road vehicle

CMA Sri Lanka inducts New President, Council Members for 2025–2027

The Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (CMA Sri Lanka) held its induction ceremony for the President and Council Members for the term 2025–2027 on June 13 at the Taj Samudra

Singer leads 5G era in Sri Lanka with Honor

Singer Sri Lanka PLC has further strengthened its leadership in the mobile phone market with the exclusive launch of two new 5G-enabled smartphones from Honor; the Honor 200 Smart 5G and Honor

ASPI down slightly as market shows mixed momentum

The Colombo Stock Exchange closed on a mixed note today, with the All Share Price Index (ASPI) declining by 8.11 points (-0.04%) to end at 18,876.85. The index saw a sharp drop of nearly 180 points early in the session before rebounding around 100 points by mid-day.

US tariff blow puts SL’s US $ 857mn coconut export industry at risk: Industry

The Ceylon Chamber of Coconut Industry (CCCI) yesterday issued an urgent appeal to the government in response to the US’ decision to impose a 30 percent import tariff on coconut-based products from Sri Lanka, effective August 1, 2025.

Storage challenge looms as Sri Lanka ramps up solar adoption

Sri Lanka is turning to energy storage systems, including battery and hydro-based solutions, to address the growing imbalance between solar energy supply and demand, a move the government said is critical to sustaining the island’s renewable energy ambitions.

Manufacturing and services activities charge ahead in June

Manufacturing sector PMI at 51.9 index points while services came in at 61.9

ASPI could touch 22,000 by 2026: First Capital Research

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is on the cusp of a significant rerating, driven by a powerful combination of prolonged low-interest rates and a robust surge in corporate profitability, according to a new mid-year outlook report from First Capital Research.

Sri Lanka’s solid tyre dominance threatened by Trump tariffs

Sri Lanka, a global leader in solid tyre manufacturing, faces a critical challenge to its market leadership as a 30 percent US import tariff on Sri Lankan rubber goods is set to take effect on August 1, 2025.

Crossings boost turnover

The ASPI closed in red as a result of price losses in counters such as John Keells Holdings, Hayleys and Central Finance Company with the turnover crossing Rs. 17.0 Bn. A similar behaviour was witnessed in the S&P SL20. Crossings were witnessed in Hatton National Bank nonvoting, Hatton National Bank and John Keells Holdings accounting for 69.9% of the turnover. Mixed interest was observed in Sampath Bank, Browns Investments and Access Engineering

Secondary market remains subdued amid light volumes

The secondary bond market remained largely inactive yesterday, continuing the subdued momentum observed in the previous session.

EDB initiates strategic dialogue with NIRDC to boost R&D in pharma sector

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) initiated a constructive dialogue with the National Initiative for R&D Commercialization (NIRDC) to explore avenues of support for strengthening the Sri Lankan pharmaceutical sector through Research and Development.

MiHCM appoints Pubudini as CEO

MiHCM has announced the appointment of Pubudini Abeyesekera as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Sri Lanka and the Maldives with effect from 1 July 2025.

Commercial High Court issues notices in Trademark Infringement Case involving cleaning chemical brand

The Commercial High Court yesterday issued notices to cleaning chemical company in a trademark infringement case filed by a prominent cleaning chemical brand call ‘CLEANA’ alleging unauthorized use of its registered logo and trade mark.

Financial Intelligence Unit signs MOU with Oman’s National Center for Financial Information

The Financial Intelligence Unit of Sri Lanka (FIU-Sri Lanka) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Center for Financial Information in the Sultanate of Oman (NCFI-Oman) last week (July 09), during the 31st Plenary of the Egmont Group, held in Luxembourg.

After-sales excellence recognition for Porsche Sri Lanka Porsche Sri Lanka amongst winners of Porsche Aftersales World Challenge 2024

Porsche Sri Lanka announced that it has been named a recipient of the prestigious Porsche Aftersales World Challenge (PACE) 2024.

Cathay Pacific introduces daily flights between Colombo and Hong Kong

Starting 1 September 2025, Hong Kong’s home carrier Cathay Pacific will be operating daily return flights— up from the current five flights per week — between Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport.

Colombo University unites for landmark celebration of UN World Tourism Day

University of Colombo is set to mark the United Nations World Tourism Day 2025 with an inclusive national initiative that brings together government, academia, industry, and youth.

Hotel Show Colombo opens on July 25

The 17th edition of Hotel Show Colombo will be held from 25-27 July at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Center, BMICH, Colombo.