Business

Bourse loses 2000 ASPI points over five consecutive days

Published

7 months ago

2026/03/19

The CSE lost 2000 All Share Price Index points over the last five consecutive days, as Middle East-linked uncertainties lingered.

This situation triggered an oversold situation of valuable stocks at low prices but the scenario changed yesterday due to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s statement that the government is to place emergency purchase arrangements for gas and fuel to address the current crisis situation.

Amid those developments both indices moved upwards. The All Share Price Index went up by 335 points while S and P SL20 rose by 42.73 points.

Turnover stood at Rs 5.27 billion with seven crossings. Those crossings were reported in HNB, where 1.5 million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 608 million; its shares traded at Rs 395, JKH 18.9 million shares crossed for Rs 347 million; its shares traded at Rs 18.40, Pickme 300,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 63 million; its shares sold at Rs 134.

Commercial Bank 300,000 shares crossed for Rs 38 million; its shares traded at Rs 193, NTB 200,000 shares crossed for Rs 56.4 million; its shares traded at Rs 282, Nawaloka 2.8 million shares crossed for Rs 28.4 million; its shares sold at Rs 10.10 and Hemas Holdings one million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 28 million; its shares fetched Rs 28.

In the retail market top seven companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were; HNB Rs 463 million (1.1 million shares traded), Colombo Dockyard Rs 309 million (2.7 million shares traded), Commercial Bank Rs 273 million (1.4 million shares traded), JKH Rs 253 million (13.6 million shares traded), Prime Lands Residencies Rs 167 million (3.7 million shares traded), Sunshine Holdings Rs 161 million (6.1 million shares traded) and Softlogic Capital Rs 147 million (11.2 million shares traded). During the day 216 million share volumes changed hands in 39012 transactions.

It is said that banking sector counters, especially Commercial Bank and HNB, performed well while the manufacturing sector, especially JKH, performed well. Real estate sector counters, especially Prime Lands Residencies, also traded well.

Ambeon Holdings has announced a share sub-division ,which will see a share split into four.

The subdivision will see 356,869,666 ordinary voting shares increased to 1,427,478,664, CSE sources said.

The subdivision of shares will not result in any change to the stated capital of the company, which will remain at Rs 5,331,775,177 the company said.

The sub-division is subject to Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and shareholder approval.

Yesterday, the rupee was quoted at Rs 311.25/35 to the US dollar in the spot market, improving from Rs 311.30/40 the previous day, dealers said, while bond yields were broadly steady.

An auction of Rs 120,000 million Treasury bills was ongoing.

By Hiran H Senewiratne

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Business

Why Convenience Is Reshaping Household Cleaning Habits

Published

5 mins ago

2026/10/10

Thilina Walpola

Keeping a home clean involves more than dealing with one kind of mess. Kitchens face grease and cooking splashes, bathrooms develop soap scum and limescale, while frequently used areas around the home collect marks, fingerprints and everyday dirt.

For households looking to simplify this routine, multi-surface cleaners offer a practical solution by allowing one product to tackle multiple cleaning needs across suitable surfaces.

One home, many everyday messes

In the kitchen, grease, splashes and burnt-on food can build up around hobs and hotplates. Cupboard doors and appliance exteriors can also collect smudges and marks through daily use.

Bathrooms present different challenges, including limescale, soap scum, toothpaste residue and water marks around sinks, washbasins and shower doors.

Even outside these rooms, surfaces such as door handles, baseboards, table mats and PVC areas can require regular attention.

Making everyday cleaning simpler

This is where the versatility of products such as CIF Cream becomes useful.

CIF Cream can help tackle a range of common household cleaning challenges across suitable surfaces, from grease and burnt-on food in the kitchen to limescale and soap scum in the bathroom.

Its uses can also extend to other suitable areas and items around the home, including cupboard doors, appliance exteriors, PVC surfaces and more, when used according to product directions.

For busy households, the benefit is straightforward: a versatile cleaner can help reduce the complexity of everyday cleaning by addressing several common cleaning needs with one product.

Consumers should always follow product instructions and check suitability before using any cleaner on a particular surface.

CIF products are now available at Cargills, Keells, Glomark and Celeste, as well as online through Daraz and uStore, at a retail price of Rs. 900 for 500ml. Shop CIF online at https://ustore.lk/collections/cif or https://www.daraz.lk/cif/

As household routines continue to evolve, multi-surface cleaning provides a simple approach to keeping different areas of the home clean — one versatile solution for many of the everyday messes that come with daily life.

Business

Dreams in motion for group of young Olympiad contenders

Published

15 mins ago

2026/10/10

Thilina Walpola

SriLankan Airlines set dreams in motion for 24 young students selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 2026 International Mathematics and Science Olympiad, held in Indonesia from 2 to 7 October 2026, helping make their journey to Indonesia and back an extra special one.

The students were selected through a four-stage national selection process covering school, zonal, provincial and national levels, with the highest-performing students progressing at each stage.

As a special initiative for Children’s Day, the Ministry of Education sponsored the air travel of all 24 students for the first time. Returning to Sri Lanka with an impressive haul of three Silver Medals and 10 Bronze Medals, the young contestants competed alongside students from 23 countries.

SriLankan Airlines was privileged to be part of their special journey, helping make their experience even more memorable as they represented Sri Lanka on the international stage.

Business

LAUGFS leadership recognised at CPM Management Leadership Excellence Awards 2026

Published

15 mins ago

2026/10/10

Thilina Walpola

Niroshan De Silva, Sector Managing Director/CEO - Retail, Kumar Rodrigo, Managing Director/CEO - LAUGFS Lubricants, Sujeewa Vidanapathirana, Chief Operating Officer – LAUGFS Supermarkets, Nalin Mallikaarachchi, Deputy General Manager - LAUGFS Petroleum and Southern Petroleum, Oshadh De Silva, Senior Manager Marketing - LAUGFS Lubricants

Leaders across LAUGFS Supermarkets, LAUGFS Lubricants and LAUGFS Petroleum recognised for excellence in leadership and management.

LAUGFS Group marked a significant achievement at the CPM Management Leadership Excellence Awards 2026, with several of its leaders receiving prestigious accolades in recognition of their excellence in management, leadership and strategic decision-making. Organised by the Institute of Chartered Professional Managers of Sri Lanka (CPM Sri Lanka), the awards recognise outstanding management and leadership excellence across the business sector.

Representing LAUGFS Supermarkets in the Supermarkets, Malls and Shopping Complexes sector, Niroshan De Silva, Sector Managing Director/CEO – Retail, received the Gold Award for C-Suite Leadership, recognising his leadership in driving business growth, operational performance and strategic development across the Group’s retail operations. Sujeewa Vidanapathirana, Chief Operating Officer – LAUGFS Supermarkets, secured two Gold Awards for Executive Decision Maker Leadership, receiving one Gold Award in the Supermarkets, Malls and Shopping Complexes sector and another Gold Award for exhibiting exemplary management skills. In addition, he received an Overall Bronze Award in the Executive Decision Maker Leadership category, recognising his strong leadership, effective decision-making and contribution to business and operational excellence.