L B Finance PLC sometimes spelt LB Finance, is a Sri Lankannon-bank financial institution. The company is incorporated in 1971 and initially, the majority of shares were held by Lewis Brown & Company. The company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1997. In 2003, Dhammika Perera acquired the company and became a subsidiary of Vallibel One. Currently, the company is one of the components of the S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index. Brand Finance ranked the company 24th in the 100 most valuable brands in Sri Lanka.[2] The company placed 39th in the LMD 100 for the financial year 2019/20.[3]
History
L B Finance was incorporated in 1971 and in 1997 was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Initially, Lewis Brown & Company held the majority (94.9%) of the company's shares. In 1994, Vanik Corporation acquired the company and in 2003 Dhammika Perera took over the company and subsequently became a subsidiary of Vallibel One. The company became the second-largest licensed finance company.[1] A premier customer centre was opened in Cinnamon Gardens exclusively for high-value clients. The centre is geared with an eco-friendly and luxurious setting.[4] In January 2021, the company announced a four-for-one share split and it resulted in a 38% share price rise.[5]
Operations
L B Finance's headquarters is located in Dharmapala Mawatha, Kollupitiya and the 100th branch office was opened in Jaffna. The company is taking part in the Sri Lanka Interbank Payment System.[1] At the 2021 SLIM-Nielsen Peoples Awards, L B Finance bagged the financial service provider of the year award.[6]Fitch Ratings affirmed A- rating for the company in September 2021 and the outlook was adjudged as stable.[7] K Seeds Investments, a Sri Lankan boutique investment bank ranked L B Finance the best performing finance company in the category of companies which asset base is greater than one billion rupees. The company has recorded a LKR1.34 billion profit for the first quarter of the financial year 2021/22, the highest among the 29 listed finance companies.[8][9] L B Finance secured a US$15 million loan from FMO, a Dutch bank, to support the small and medium enterprise sector.[10] L B Finance donated a ventilator to Maharagama Apeksha Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] LB Finance bought a controlling stake in Multi Finance in 2022. LB Finance acquired 64% of the Stake in Multi Finance for LKR400 million from Fairway Holdings.[12]