Sri Lanka’s rupee commenced trading at 310.00/25 against the US dollar in the spot market on Wednesday, showing a slight depreciation from the previous day’s rate of 310.00/310.20, according to market dealers. Bond yields remained largely stable.
In 2025, the Sri Lankan rupee depreciated despite the country achieving record current account surpluses and improvements in budget management, challenging the conventional explanations often cited by macro-economists following monetary debasement.
For telegraphic transfers, the US dollar was priced at 306.4000 for buying and 313.4000 for selling. The British pound was quoted at 411.5646 for buying and 422.9264 for selling, while the euro was at 357.6503 for buying and 369.0135 for selling.
In the secondary bond market, the bond maturing on February 15, 2028, was steady at 9.00/10 percent. The bond maturing on July 1, 2028, saw a slight increase, quoted at 9.15/20 percent, up from 9.10/20 percent. The bond maturing on October 15, 2028, was quoted at 9.20/25 percent, up from 9.15/25 percent. Meanwhile, the bond maturing on June 15, 2029, remained at 9.65/75 percent.
The bond maturing on October 15, 2029, was quoted at 9.70/80 percent, a slight decrease from 9.70/75 percent. The bond maturing on December 15, 2029, increased to 9.75/85 percent, up from 9.70/80 percent. The bond maturing on July 1, 2030, was quoted at 9.80/87 percent, down from 9.85/90 percent. The bond maturing on March 15, 2031, remained flat at 10.00/10 percent. Lastly, the bond maturing on October 1, 2032, was quoted at 10.35/45 percent, an increase from 10.32/40 percent.
A Treasury bill auction worth Rs 120,000 million was underway.
On the Colombo Stock Exchange, the indices showed an upward trend. The All Share Price Index (ASPI) increased by 0.70 percent, or 157.95 points, reaching 22,603. The S&P SL20 index rose by 0.77 percent, or 46.97 points, to 6,158.
(Colombo/Dec31/2025)
