Hatton National Bank

2025-09-09T04:53:23Z

2402:4000:2120:1985:1912:AC54:1F5D:D773:

{{AI-generated|date=September 2025}}
{{Short description|Sri Lankan commercial bank}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Hatton National Bank PLC
| logo = HNB_New_Logo.png
| logo_caption = Hatton National Bank logo
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{Colombo Stock Exchange|HNB.N0000}}
| ISIN = {{ISIN|sl=n|pl=y|LK0078N00002}}
| industry = [[Financial services]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1888}}<ref name="WB97"/>
| hq_location_city = [[Colombo]]
| hq_location_country = Sri Lanka
| num_locations = 255 branches (825 [[Automated teller machine|ATM]]s)
| num_locations_year = 2023
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Nihal Jayawardene ([[Chairman]])|Damith Pallewatte ([[Managing Director|MD]]/[[Chief executive officer|CEO]])}}<ref name="DFT-25Nov-HNB">{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.lk/front-page/HNB-appoints-Damith-Pallewatte-as-Managing-Director-CEO/44-769665 |title=HNB appoints Damith Pallewatte as Managing Director/CEO |publisher=Daily FT |date=25 November 2024 |accessdate=26 November 2024 |archive-date=26 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126013641/https://www.ft.lk/front-page/HNB-appoints-Damith-Pallewatte-as-Managing-Director-CEO/44-769665 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| revenue = {{increase}} [[Sri Lankan rupee|LKR]]336.638 billion
| revenue_year = 2023
| operating_income = {{decrease}} LKR149.5 billion
| income_year = 2023
| net_income = {{decrease}} LKR1.606 billion
| net_income_year = 2023
| assets = {{increase}} LKR2.047 trillion
| assets_year = 2023
| equity = {{increase}} LKR219.557 billion
| equity_year = 2023
| owners = {{Unbulleted list|[[Browns Investments]] (9.99%)|[[Employees' Provident Fund (Sri Lanka)|Employees' Provident Fund]] (9.75%)|[[Sri Lanka Insurance]] (8.27%)|[[Harry Jayawardena|Milford Exports (Ceylon)]] (7.91%)}}
| subsid = {{Unbulleted list|HNB Assurance PLC|HNB Finance PLC|Prime Finance PLC|Acuity Partners (Pvt) Ltd|Lanka Ventures PLC}}
| num_employees = {{increase}} 8,989
| num_employees_year = 2023
| website = {{URL|https://www.hnb.net}}
| footnotes = <ref name="Annual Report">{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2023 |url=https://cdn.cse.lk/cmt/upload_report_file/373_1709294486302.pdf |website=cse.lk |publisher=Hatton National Bank PLC |access-date=3 March 2024}}</ref>
}}

'''Hatton National Bank PLC''' (commonly abbreviated as '''HNB''') is a private bank in [[Sri Lanka]] with 255 branches and 825 ATMs. The bank traces its origin to 1888 when Hatton Bank commenced its operations in [[Hatton, Sri Lanka]].<ref name="WB97">{{cite book |last1=Randhawa |first1=Bikki K. |last2=Sacay |first2=Orlando J. |editor1-last=Gallardo |editor1-first=Joselito S. |title=A Commercial Bank's Microfinance Program: The Case of Hatton National Bank in Sri Lanka, Parts 63-369 |date=1997 |publisher=[[World Bank Publications]] |isbn=978-0-82134-002-8 |page=7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7yoL0yapLkYC |access-date=26 November 2022}}</ref>

Founded in 1888 in Hatton to serve the local tea-plantation economy, the bank was later incorporated as Hatton National Bank in 1970 following a merger with branches of Grindlays Bank. It is headquartered in Colombo and, as of 2023, operates 255 branches and 825 ATMs across the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hatton National Bank |work=Wikipedia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hatton National Bank PLC |work=Investing.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2005 |title=Hatton National Bank PLC profile and flagship projects |work=APRACA}}</ref>

== Products and innovations ==
In 2025, Hatton National Bank introduced the **Club Elite Mastercard**, described as Sri Lanka’s first **World Elite Metal Mastercard**, offered in collaboration with Mastercard International. The card is available on an invitation-only basis to clients of HNB's premium banking segment. According to the bank, the card provides benefits such as access to airport lounges, concierge services, hotel privileges through GHA Discovery, and travel-related insurance coverage.<ref name="HNBMetal2025">{{cite web |date=2025 |title=HNB introduces Sri Lanka's First World Elite Metal Mastercard |url=https://hnb.lk/about-us/news/hnb-introduces-sri-lanka-s-first-world-elite-metal-mastercard |access-date=8 July 2025 |work=Hatton National Bank}}</ref>

==History==
In 1947, Ceylonese conglomerate [[Brown and Company]] acquired Hatton Bank and the Hatton Transport and Agency Co, thus becoming the Browns Group.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Warushamana |first1=Gamini |title=Trust and service excellence, the driving force of Browns |url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2012/02/05/fin41.asp |access-date=3 March 2024 |work=[[Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka)|Sunday Observer]] |date=5 March 2012 |archive-date=3 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303163535/https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2012/02/05/fin41.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1970, Hatton Bank acquired two branches of [[Grindlays Bank|Grindlays National Bank]] and became Hatton National Bank.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wijesundera |first1=D. |title=Small and Micro Enterprise in Sri Lanka: Bringing the Bankers to the People |journal=Development in Practice |date=1996 |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=151–154 |jstor=4028979 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/4028979 |access-date=3 March 2024 |issn=0961-4524 |archive-date=4 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304001107/https://www.jstor.org/stable/4028979 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==
Hatton National Bank (HNB) was recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Top 10 Most Admired Companies for 2022, marking its fifth consecutive appearance in this prestigious ranking. The accolade was jointly presented by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), and the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ICCSL).<ref name="FT2023">{{cite news |date=5 September 2023 |title=Unwavering excellence: HNB among Most Admired Companies for 2022 |access-date=8 July 2025 |work=Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/most_admired_companies_of_sri_lanka_2022/Unwavering-excellence-HNB-among-Most-Admired-Companies-for-2022/10571-752626}}</ref>

== Subsidiaries performance ==
In June 2022, HNB Finance PLC—a wholly owned subsidiary of Hatton National Bank—delivered an exceptional operational turnaround. It recorded Group Net Interest Income of Rs 3,903.9 million and Group Total Operating Income of Rs 4,929.9 million, with all business lines returning to profitability thanks to improved disbursement growth and cost optimization efforts.<ref name="SundayObserver2022">{{cite news |date=5 June 2022 |title=HNB Finance records exceptional performance turnaround |url=https://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2022/06/05/business/hnb-finance-records-exceptional-performance-turnaround |access-date=8 July 2025 |work=Sunday Observer |archive-date=8 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708090133/https://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2022/06/05/business/hnb-finance-records-exceptional-performance-turnaround |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Banks}}
* [[List of banks in Sri Lanka]]
* [[List of companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.hnb.net Official website]

{{Banking in Sri Lanka}}
{{S&P SL20}}
{{All Share Price Index}}
{{Tallest structures in Sri Lanka}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1888 establishments in Ceylon]]
[[Category:Banks of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Banks established in 1888]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Companies in the S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index]]

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Hatton National Bank