Market Lens section
Recent Market Lens coverage across themes and sectors.
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Market Insights | Feb 22, 2026
Stock market liquidity determines how easily and cost-effectively shares can be traded without large price swings. This explainer breaks down turnover ratios, market depth, and spread analysis with clear examples. It also shows why strong liquidity reduces volatility and supports better risk management for investors worldwide, including in emerging markets.

Motorsport | Feb 22, 2026
F1 2026 brings the biggest regulatory overhaul in decades with 50/50 hybrid power, sustainable fuels and nimbler chassis. The team cost cap rises to $215 million to absorb development costs while power-unit makers operate under $130 million limits. Recent pre-season testing in Bahrain reveals Ferrari and Mercedes leading while Aston Martin grapples with Honda reliability woes. Fresh X posts and official data deliver the latest non-repeated picture ahead of the Australian GP.

Global Markets | Feb 22, 2026
Across more than a century of history, equities have delivered positive real returns that outpace inflation in the long term. Yet high-inflation episodes have repeatedly eroded those gains, with developed markets showing greater sensitivity than emerging ones. Monetary policy credibility and economic context explain much of the divergence. Investors today can draw practical lessons from these recurring patterns without assuming stocks are an automatic hedge.

Emerging Markets | Feb 22, 2026
Small-cap stocks have historically delivered higher returns than large-caps in many developed markets, a pattern known as the small-cap premium. In emerging markets, evidence reveals a smaller but still positive premium in certain periods, often linked more to illiquidity and local economic shifts than pure company size. This comparison brief weighs historical data from MSCI, GMO, and Morgan Stanley against risks such as volatility and governance gaps, offering neutral trade-offs for globally minded investors.
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Markets | Feb 22, 2026
Before committing capital to any equity market, investors need a disciplined framework to separate structural opportunity from short-term noise. This analysis walks through the five core pillars – GDP momentum, currency resilience, sector balance, regulatory strength and foreign participation – using real data and balanced risk assessment. Sri Lanka’s post-crisis rebound offers a timely illustration of how these factors interact in a frontier market recovering from debt stress and external shocks.

Analysis | Feb 22, 2026
Across 125 years of global data, equities have delivered positive real returns in most environments, yet high inflation consistently compresses them. Developed markets show sharper negative responses to expected inflation, while emerging markets display more resilience to surprises. Case studies from US stagflation, Japanese deflation, and Brazilian hyperinflation illustrate the problem-context-action-outcome arc. Investors gain practical context for today’s policy shifts without relying on forecasts.

Markets | Feb 22, 2026
A market heatmap transforms raw stock data into an intuitive visual grid using colors for performance and sizes for market weight. Investors turn to it for instant insight into sector strength and where money is concentrating. This guide explains the mechanics and practical applications for clearer, faster market reads.

Global Markets | Feb 21, 2026
Global index providers classify Sri Lanka as a frontier market due to its smaller scale and accessibility profile. Emerging markets provide greater liquidity and stability, while frontier markets like Sri Lanka promise higher growth potential alongside elevated risks. This distinction shapes investor expectations for volatility, capital flows, and long-term portfolio outcomes.

Investment | Feb 21, 2026
International investors seeking exposure to Sri Lanka's recovering economy can access the Colombo Stock Exchange through a streamlined digital process in 2026. This guide details CDS account opening for foreign individuals, broker selection, mandatory Inward Investment Accounts, repatriation rules, currency considerations, and tax treatment. Official channels ensure compliance while offering potential long-term growth amid improving macro stability.

Case Studies | Feb 21, 2026
Expolanka Holdings began in 1978 exporting fresh produce as Sri Lanka liberalised. It grew into a global logistics leader, listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 2011, and posted record profits during the 2020-2022 freight crisis. SG Holdings took full control and completed CSE delisting in September 2024 at Rs. 185 per share. Today it operates privately as Expolanka Holdings Limited, still anchored in Sri Lanka but fully aligned with its Japanese parent’s worldwide network.

Technology | Feb 21, 2026
Space data centers promise unlimited solar power and vacuum cooling to fuel exploding AI demand, but massive launch costs and technical barriers keep them years away. Elon Musk targets cost leadership in two to three years via million-satellite constellations, yet AWS leadership calls the concept "pretty far" from viable. Legacy cloud giants continue pouring billions into terrestrial infrastructure while early prototypes from Google and startups test the waters.

Global Trade | Feb 21, 2026
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs. In response, Trump signed an executive order for a new 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, effective February 24. The move aims to address the U.S. balance-of-payments deficit while existing targeted tariffs remain in place, with potential for further increases via investigations.