Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Wednesday, 22 May 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Wealth Trust Securities
The secondary bond market remained active yesterday with the liquid maturities of 15.03.23, 15.05.23, 15.03.24, 01.08.26 and 15.01.27 hitting lows of 10.00%, 10.10%, 10.05%, 10.30% and 10.36% respectively against its 
previous day’s closing levels of 10.15/20, 10.20/25, 10.25/28, 10.50/55 and 10.57/62. Furthermore, activity was also witnessed consisting of the 01.10.22, 15.07.23, 01.08.24 and 01.08.25 maturities at levels of 9.90%, 10.15%, 10.25% and 10.48%.
In the secondary bill market, April and May 2020 maturities traded at levels of 9.02% and 9.03% respectively.
At today’s bill auction, the total offered amount will be at a nineteen week low of Rs. 20 billion, consisting of Rs. 2.5 billion on the 91 day, Rs. 4.5 billion on the 182 day and Rs. 13 billion on the 364 day maturities. At last week’s auction, the weighted average yields of the 182 day and 364 day bills decreased to 8.88% and 9.18% respectively while the 91 day bill increased to 8.52%.
The total secondary market Treasury bond/bill transacted volumes for 17 May was Rs. 15.28 billion.
In money markets, the Open Market Operations (OMO) Department of the Central Bank, drained out liquidity by way of overnight, three days and seven days repo auctions at weighted averages ranging from 8.51% to 8.60% as the overnight net surplus liquidity in the system stood at Rs. 38.25 billion. The overnight call money and repo rates averaged 8.44% and 8.48% respectively.
Rupee loses
In Forex markets, the USD/LKR rate on spot contracts were seen losing yesterday, to close the day at Rs. 176.30/45 against its previous day’s closing levels of Rs. 175.90/00, on the back of buying interest by Banks.
The total USD/LKR traded volume for 17 May was $ 33.63 million.
Some of the forward USD/LKR rates that prevailed in the market were 1 month - 177.20/40; 3 months - 179.00/30 and 6 months - 181.70/00.
