Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.3-pct

Aug 21, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed up 0.29 percent on Friday with index heavy stocks making gains, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed up 21.35 points at 7,471.17 up 0.29 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 3.09 points higher at 4,148.68 up 0.07 percent. Turnover was 959 million rupees, down from 1.2 billion rupees, Thursday with 86 stocks closing positive against 70 negative. The main index showed gains in Ceylon Tobacco Company closing at 978.10 rupees, up 23.80 rupees and Hemas Holdings closing at 91.60 rupees up 1.60 rupees. Nestle Lanka closed at 2,118.00 rupees, up 17.00 rupees. Banking stocks also traded actively with Commercial Bank closed at 175.00 rupees, up 1.30 rupees and DFCC Bank closed at 194.10 rupees, down 2.30 rupees. Commercial Bank topped the turnover list with 145 million rupees with a single crossing of 500,000 shares at 173.30 rupees. Foreign investors closed the session on selling side with a net foreign outflow of 10 million rupees while foreign participation was 20 percent. Net foreign outflows were mainly seen in Commercial Bank 51 million rupees, Access Engineering 13 million rupees, John Keells Holdings 9 million rupees while net foreign inflow was mainly seen in Distilleries Company 65 million rupees.