TaprobaneFi / Research desk
The weekly wrapClear-eyed reporting on the Colombo market, local capital, and the forces shaping Sri Lankan money.
Markets & Macro /
MSCI's 2026 classification review moved Greece up and left Vietnam waiting. Here is what actually separates an emerging market from a frontier one, and where institutional capital is really going.
Crypto & Markets /
How AI Agents Are Taking Over DeFi Portfolios02Trade & Supply Chains /
South Asian Exporters Face the 2026 Freight Rate Spike03Markets & Commodities /
Hormuz Aftermath: Trading the Hidden Fertilizer, Helium Shock04Markets & Investing /
The $730B AI Capex Trade: Utilities Are the New Tech Stocks05Markets /
Navigating the CSE in Q3 2026 as Foreign Capital ExitsClose-to-close notes
Beyond the close
Banking & Finance /
Gold-backed lending at Sri Lanka's finance companies surged 69.2% in Q1 2026. The Central Bank's new 70% LTV cap tests how much of that growth was built on durable margin versus thin collateral cushions.
Auto /
From May 2026, a new 50% surcharge on customs import duty combined with the 2.5% SSCL has sharply raised landed costs for hybrids and EVs, reshaping buyer choices toward smaller engines.
Economy /
Industrial activity, led by construction and mining, powered a resilient expansion while services added breadth. CSE investors now weigh which listed builders and materials firms can convert the rebound into sustained earnings.
Auto /
Sri Lanka’s 2026 vehicle import bill is not shaped by one tax rate. It is built through CIF value, engine-capacity excise, VAT, SSCL, exchange rates, and market risk.
Auto Finance /
A USD 10,000 car does not become expensive in Sri Lanka because of shipping alone. The real price shock comes from layered import taxes, exchange-rate conversion, excise duty, VAT, and road-ready costs.
Market Analysis /
Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery is real, but CSE hotel and leisure valuations now need more than rising arrivals to justify the optimism.
From the archive
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Editorial context is most useful beside the underlying market, sector, and global-position data.
