Back from a hiatus, CFA Capital Market Awards to be held on 22 June

The CFA Society Sri Lanka has announced the eighth annual CFA Capital Market Awards, scheduled to be held on 22 June, under the theme ‘Investing with Purpose’.

A signature event in the CFA Society Sri Lanka calendar since its inception in 2013, the Capital Market Awards is among the most sought-after accolades that recognises and rewards excellence in the local capital markets.

Despite the challenges posed by the prevailing pandemic conditions, the CFA Society Sri Lanka is of the view that it is imperative for the awards ceremony to be held this year, which speaks to its belief in maintaining the standards of CFA as well as the Capital Market Awards. As a result, the event this year will be held virtually, taking into consideration the restrictions in place.  

The objective of conceptualising an event of this nature is to recognise and reward professionals who have established industry benchmarks for the advancement of domestic capital market participants and stakeholder groups to strive for excellence. 

This is in line with the CFA Society Sri Lanka’s mission ‘to lead the finance and investment profession in Sri Lanka by introducing and promoting global best practices in ethics, education and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.’

CFA Society Sri Lanka President Dinesh Warusavitharana commented: “CFA Society Sri Lanka is hosting the Capital Markets Awards for the eighth year to recognise excellence in the Sri Lankan capital market. This year, we have selected the theme as ‘Investing with Purpose’ to highlight the importance of sustainable investments, which will lead to stronger long-term returns for investors.”

“Adopting international best practices in fund management and environmental and social governance is key, as these are two factors given prominence to by international institutional investors when investing in emerging markets. Adopting such standards will also benefit Sri Lanka during a time where it is looking to attract new foreign investors to the country,” he added.

CFA Capital Market Awards Chairperson Rashmi Peiris Paranavitane affirmed that “in a year that has been marked by volatile market conditions and uncertainty, we are pleased to recognise analysts and firms that have strived to uphold standards of excellence and responded most effectively to clients’ needs. We are also thankful to our panel of judges across each awards category for their continued support and commitment.”

The event this year is set to feature RBC Asset Management Senior Portfolio Manager – Global Equities Benjamin Yeoh, CFA as the keynote speaker, along with a panel discussion including Commercial Bank of Ceylon Chief Risk Officer Kapila Hettihamu, MAS Holdings Head of Sustainability Sid Amalean and Acuity Knowledge Partners Country Head Chanakya Dissanayake.

Moreover, this prestigious event in the corporate calendar of Sri Lanka’s finance and investment industry will witness the participation of stakeholders including industry regulators, stockbroking companies, unit trusts, investor relations teams and senior management of listed entities.

The awards will be presented under the five categories of Best Equity Research Team, Best Equity Research Report, Best Sector Report, Best Investor Relations Team and Best Unit Trust Team, with awards for Gold, Silver and Bronze in each category respectively. 

As in past editions of the Capital Market Awards, the judging will be carried out by a carefully selected panel consisting of both CFA charterholders and industry experts.

The organisers also convey their appreciation to the Colombo Stock Exchange (Platinum sponsor), Acuity Stock Brokers (Silver sponsor), Capital Alliance (Silver sponsor), Daily FT and Daily Mirror (Print Media Sponsors) for coming on board to sponsor this event.