The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated by 5.7% against the US dollar so far in 2026, according to the latest Weekly Economic Indicators released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).The Central Bank said the year-to-date depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar stood at 5.7% as of August 28.Meanwhile, lending rates edged higher during the week, with the Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate increasing by nine basis points to 10.95%. The Average Weighted Call Money Rate also rose to 8.84%, from 8.81% at the end of the previous week.

Liquidity in the domestic money market remained in surplus, with total outstanding market liquidity rising to Rs. 318.13 billion as of August 28, compared with Rs. 278.51 billion at the end of the previous week.The Colombo stock market recorded a weekly decline, with the All Share Price Index falling 0.47% to 21,315.91 points and the S&P SL20 declining 0.38% to 6,005.34 points.Foreign investor holdings of Treasury Bills and Treasury Bonds, measured in rupee terms, increased by approximately 3.98% during the reporting week. Treasury Bill and Bond auctions were oversubscribed by around 2.9 times and 4.7 times, respectively.On global energy markets, Brent and WTI crude oil prices fell by $4.50 and $3.59 per barrel, respectively, compared with a week earlier, as concerns over potential supply disruptions eased following progress in Iran-Oman discussions over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz