HNB opens trading at CSE

Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) opened trading on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) on Tuesday, January 5. This event was another in a series of Market Opening Ceremonies, featuring the companies in the S&P SL20 index.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hatton National Bank, Jonathan Alles, DGM, Credit and Transaction Banking, Mrs. Ruvini Thenabadu, DGM, Legal and Board Secretary Mrs. Thushairi Ranaweera, DGM, Corporate Banking, Ruwan Manatunge, Chief Financial Officer, Ashok Goonesekere and Chief Manager, Planning and Investments, Rajive Dissanayake and Chairman, CSE, Vajira Kulatilaka, Director Anton Godfrey, CEO Rajeeva Bandaranaike and the Senior Management of the CSE were present.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, HNB, Jonathan Alles said, "HNB first listed in 1971 and since then has grown to be one of the dominant stocks in the CSE, within the top 10 in terms of the market cap and exceeding Rs.10 bn in turnover in 2015."

He said, "In the HNB Group, Lanka Ventures, and HNB Assurance are listed and our recent acquisition, HNB Grameen will be listed shortly. In addition, its joint venture companies, Acuity Stockbrokers, Acuity Securities and the corporate advisory team are well positioned to take advantage of the interesting developments planned for CSE in 2016," he said.

Chairman, CSE, Vajira Kulatilaka said, "We just got the exchange control approval to start listing foreign companies here. This is an opportunity for banks, because that gives you confidence to lend to foreign companies because that will be listed in Sri Lanka."