In a robust first quarter, the Sri Lankan rupee shines as the best performer among emerging markets with a spot return exceeding 7%.
The Sri Lankan Rupee has emerged as the top performer among emerging market currencies in the first quarter of 2024. Boasting a stellar spot return of over 7%, it has surpassed all competitors. This impressive feat was recently celebrated by Sri Lanka's President's Media Division (PMD), citing data from Bloomberg.
An independent analysis conducted by Numbers.lk using Google Finance data confirms this dominance as we examined the performance of currencies across 38 emerging markets, as designated by BBVA Research. The Sri Lankan Rupee secured the top position, demonstrating a significant 7.6% appreciation against the dollar. This outpaced the closest competitors, Kazakhstan's Tenge (up 2.5%) and the Mexican Peso (up 2.4%). Out of the 38 currencies analyzed, only 12 recorded positive growth against the dollar.
The Rupee's appreciation signifies a promising development for the Sri Lankan economy, which has navigated challenges in recent years. This positive performance underscores the effectiveness of ongoing economic reforms and a potential shift in investor sentiment towards the Sri Lankan market.
Rank | Country | Currency | USD/* on 01/01/24 | USD/* on 31/03/24 | Appreciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 | USD/LKR | 324.802 | 300.0528 | 7.62% |
2 | Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 | USD/KZT | 458.2228 | 446.6046 | 2.54% |
3 | Mexico 🇲🇽 | USD/MXN | 16.96665 | 16.5579 | 2.41% |
4 | Colombia 🇨🇴 | USD/COP | 3884.84 | 3861.2 | 0.61% |
5 | Pakistan 🇵🇰 | USD/PKR | 278.9809 | 277.5833 | 0.50% |
6 | Bangladesh 🇧🇩 | USD/BDT | 110.0539 | 109.6051 | 0.41% |
7 | Bahrain 🇧🇭 | USD/BHD | 0.3778914 | 0.3765218 | 0.36% |
8 | Iraq 🇮🇶 | USD/IQD | 1312.661 | 1308.244 | 0.34% |
9 | Iran 🇮🇷 | USD/IRR | 42105 | 42047.5 | 0.14% |
10 | Oman 🇴🇲 | USD/OMR | 0.38496 | 0.3845577 | 0.10% |
11 | Jordan 🇯🇴 | USD/JOD | 0.7096 | 0.7089 | 0.10% |
12 | United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪 | USD/AED | 3.6728 | 3.6723 | 0.01% |
13 | Qatar 🇶🇦 | USD/QAR | 3.641 | 3.641 | 0.00% |
14 | Kuwait 🇰🇼 | USD/KWD | 0.30728 | 0.30765 | -0.12% |
15 | Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 | USD/SAR | 3.75 | 3.754707 | -0.13% |
16 | India 🇮🇳 | USD/INR | 83.20285 | 83.36505 | -0.19% |
17 | Philippines 🇵🇭 | USD/PHP | 55.398 | 56.185 | -1.42% |
18 | Morocco 🇲🇦 | USD/MAD | 9.925943 | 10.08027 | -1.55% |
19 | China 🇨🇳 | USD/CNY | 7.0786 | 7.2213 | -2.02% |
20 | Tunisia 🇹🇳 | USD/TND | 3.06425 | 3.13 | -2.15% |
21 | Vietnam 🇻🇳 | USD/VND | 24270 | 24812.5 | -2.24% |
22 | Romania 🇷🇴 | USD/RON | 4.5047 | 4.6073 | -2.28% |
23 | Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | USD/BGN | 1.771628 | 1.812398 | -2.30% |
24 | Ukraine 🇺🇦 | USD/UAH | 38.12901 | 39.17363 | -2.74% |
25 | Malaysia 🇲🇾 | USD/MYR | 4.595 | 4.7245 | -2.82% |
Datasource: Google Finance
