The Commercial Bank of Ceylon achieved a major milestone in 2025, becoming the first private sector bank in Sri Lanka to expand its loan book beyond Rs. 2 trillion, underscoring its growing role in supporting economic recovery.
The bank’s gross loans and advances rose by Rs. 541 billion, or 36.37%, to Rs. 2.028 trillion by end-2025, marking the highest annual lending growth in its history. Total assets increased by 16.78% to Rs. 3.258 trillion, more than doubling the growth recorded in the previous year.
Deposits also recorded strong growth, rising by Rs. 372 billion to Rs. 2.6 trillion, while the bank improved its CASA ratio to 39.65%, maintaining one of the strongest low-cost deposit bases in the industry.
Financial performance reflected the balance sheet expansion, with net interest income increasing by 18.97% to Rs. 136.29 billion, supported by higher lending volumes and contained interest expenses. Net fee and commission income grew by 22.05% to Rs. 27.5 billion, driven mainly by card-related services and loan-based commissions.
The bank reported net profit of Rs. 58.49 billion for 2025, a 44.05% increase over the previous year’s normalised performance, while profit before tax rose to Rs. 89.38 billion. At group level, profit after tax reached Rs. 60.94 billion, up 9.43%.
Chairman Sharhan Muhseen said the bank remained focused on sustaining shareholder value through strong fundamentals, disciplined risk management and customer-centric strategies. Managing Director and CEO Sanath Manatunge noted that the bank’s performance demonstrated its ability to expand lending while maintaining asset quality and balance sheet strength.
The bank’s capital ratios remained well above regulatory minimums despite rapid lending growth, while asset quality improved, with the net impaired loan ratio declining to 1.54%.
Commercial Bank continues to be a key foreign exchange earner through its overseas operations, particularly in Bangladesh and the Maldives, while maintaining its position as Sri Lanka’s largest private sector lender.
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