Net foreign flows into the Colombo Stock Exchange
Whether overseas investors bought more Sri Lankan shares than they sold.
Source: Colombo Stock Exchange · As of Sep 2026 · Provisional · View source
Chart of Net foreign flows into the Colombo Stock Exchange over time. 0.4 LKR bn (Jan 2023) → -1.6 LKR bn (Sep 2026).
Table
| Period | LKR bn |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | 0.4 |
| Feb 2023 | 2.8 |
| Mar 2023 | -2.6 |
| Apr 2023 | 0.9 |
| May 2023 | -0.2 |
| Jun 2023 | -0.3 |
| Jul 2023 | 2.2 |
| Aug 2023 | 1.8 |
| Sep 2023 | -1.5 |
| Oct 2023 | 0.5 |
| Nov 2023 | 0.9 |
| Dec 2023 | -0.7 |
| Jan 2024 | -2.1 |
| Feb 2024 | -1.5 |
| Mar 2024 | -4.3 |
| Apr 2024 | 0.0 |
| May 2024 | -0.2 |
| Jun 2024 | -0.9 |
| Jul 2024 | 3.1 |
| Aug 2024 | 0.1 |
| Sep 2024 | -0.6 |
| Oct 2024 | -0.4 |
| Nov 2024 | -3.1 |
| Dec 2024 | -0.6 |
| Jan 2025 | -6.5 |
| Feb 2025 | -2.6 |
| Mar 2025 | -1.7 |
| Apr 2025 | 0.8 |
| May 2025 | 0.1 |
| Jun 2025 | -2.0 |
| Jul 2025 | -5.9 |
| Aug 2025 | -4.6 |
| Sep 2025 | -4.8 |
| Oct 2025 | -5.7 |
| Nov 2025 | -3.7 |
| Dec 2025 | -2.2 |
| Jan 2026 | -6.8 |
| Feb 2026 | -9.4 |
| Mar 2026 | -3.6 |
| Apr 2026 | -5.1 |
| May 2026 | -7.3 |
| Jun 2026 | -1.5 |
| Jul 2026 | -2.2 |
| Aug 2026 | -19.5 |
| Sep 2026 | -1.6* |
Sri Lanka's current situation
In Sep 2026, net foreign flows were -1.6 LKR bn.
What is it?
Net foreign flow = foreign purchases − foreign sales of shares in the Colombo Stock Exchange's secondary market. Positive means overseas investors were net buyers (money flowing in); negative means net sellers (money flowing out). Monthly flows add up to quarterly totals.
A simple example
If foreigners buy LKR 4 bn of shares in a month and sell LKR 10 bn, the net flow is −LKR 6 bn: a net outflow.
What happens when it is high
Strong net inflows signal confidence in Sri Lankan companies, support share prices and bring in foreign currency.
What happens when it is low
Persistent outflows mean foreign investors are cutting exposure — because of global interest rates, currency risk or local uncertainty — which can weigh on prices and the rupee. Foreigners are a small part of CSE trading, so local investors often set the overall trend.
What is a healthy range
No fixed level; sustained net inflows are a positive sign. No rating is applied.
What might happen next
Official projections
No data yet
Simple statistical trend
No data yet
Inflows: stable policy, falling global rates and attractive valuations. Outflows: global risk-off moves, currency worries and local uncertainty. Not financial advice.
A simple statistical trend, not a prediction of what will happen. Forecasts are uncertain and are not financial advice.
For experts
Foreign portfolio flows are a quick read of how global investors view Sri Lanka.
How we calculate this
Monthly net foreign purchases in the CSE secondary market, in LKR, as reported from CSE data (NDB Wealth monthly reviews, financial press). A quarter is shown only when all three months are available.