Sri Lanka, March 12 -- Standard Chartered Bank yesterday expressed optimism about Sri Lanka's economic outlook, highlighting renewed confidence among portfolio investors.

While acknowledging that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows will take time to materialise, the bank noted that maintaining the country's steady performance could pave the way for long-term investor interest. The bank's research heads emphasised that discussions with international investors indicate a positive shift in sentiment toward Sri Lanka.

"I think they've been very impressed with the tightening that the country has done over the last few years. The progress is clearly reflected in the metrics that we see in front of us. So, all of that has been actually ve...