Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.5-pct

July 17, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stocks closed up 0.53 percent on Friday with investor confidence gaining further and telecom and banking sector stocks continuing to show gains, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 37.82 points higher at 7,161.96 up 0.53 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 22.54 points higher at 4,013.75 up 0.56 percent. Turnover was 1.94 billion rupees, up from 1.56 million rupees Thursday with 119 stocks closing positive against 44 negative. “During the week the main index advanced by 177.84 points supported by the positive direction reflected in political arena,” Lanka Securities said. The main index showed gains in banking sector stocks with National Development Bank closing at 274.60 rupee, up 8.60 rupees and Hatton National Bank closing at 214.80 rupees, up 2.80 rupees. Dialog Axiata closed at 11.30 rupees, up 0.40 rupees. Aitken Spence topped the turnover with 738 million rupees and the stock closing at 100.70 rupees, up 2.20 rupees with over 7.5 million shares traded. John Keells Holdings closed at 182.90 rupees, down 0.10 rupees. In other banking stocks, Commercial bank closing at 169.50 rupees, up 0.40 rupees and Sampath Bank closed at 259.70 rupees, down 0.30 rupees.