Dhammika Perera has invested a further Rs. 4.6 billion in Hayleys PLC by subscribing to the conglomerate’s historic rights issue, the first capital call since he took control of the group in 2009.
According to Daily FT, the businessman acquired 22.95 million shares at Rs. 200 each. He continues to hold a 51% stake in Hayleys, the country’s most diversified conglomerate, which spans plantations, leisure, consumer, transportation and renewable energy businesses.
The Rs. 9 billion rights issue is being raised to partially settle debt and to fund new investments aimed at strengthening the group’s balance sheet. As at 31 December 2025, the public float stood at 37%, held by 15,172 shareholders.
The Hayleys share closed at Rs. 233.60 on Tuesday, up Rs. 3 or 1.3%, comfortably above the Rs. 200 rights price. The issue closed last month oversubscribed at Rs. 11.05 billion against the Rs. 9 billion target — 55.24 million shares were subscribed against the 45 million on offer, a 23% over-allotment that was widely read at the time as a blue-chip demand signal during the geopolitical risk premium that followed the Iran-Israel ceasefire.
Today’s confirmation that the controlling shareholder personally took up just over half of the issue underscores the family-anchor commitment behind the Rs. 9 billion call. Hayleys subsidiaries have been raising capital across the cycle: Hayleys Solar this week unveiled an 800kW LSEG rooftop installation as part of the group’s renewable-energy push.
Source: Daily FT.
