With yesterday’s purchases, it is believed that electronic media owner and businessman Rayynor Silva now has close to a 10 percent stake in Sampath Bank PLC, stock market sources said.
The market yesterday witnessed five crossings of Sampath Bank shares, amounting to 8.25 million shares, at Rs.56 each.
According to unconfirmed reports, the shares were purchased by Silva, through his investment vehicle Phantom Investments Ltd.  Silva had already increased his holding in Sampath Bank to over 9 percent, through recent purchases.
Sampath Bank share closed at Rs.56.70, up 2.53 or Rs.1.40 from the previous close. As at March 31, Vallibel One PLC controlled by business mogul Dhammika Perera was the largest shareholder of Sampath Bank, with a 14.95 percent stake, while Global Rubber-famed Prabhash Subasinghe’s Ayenka Holdings had a 9.97 percent stake in the bank, as its second largest shareholder. The Employees’ Provident Fund also had a 9.97 percent stake in Sampath Bank and businessman Indra Silva held an 8.20 percent stake, as the fourth largest shareholder. Phantom Investments remained as the fifth largest shareholder, with 5.29 percent.