Sri Lanka shares end marginally higher

Feb 17, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lankan shares ended slightly higher Friday after a roller-coaster ride with heavy trading again in stocks favoured by speculators while there was also some buying into banks, brokers said. The main All Share Price Index closed up 0.12 percent (6.08 points) at 5,285.17, for the third day, after a nine-day slide, while the more liquid Milanka index fell 0.07 percent (3.41 points) to close at 4,549.43.

Turnover was 2.2 billion rupees, according to stock exchange provisional figures.

The main index shot up nearly two percent in the morning followed by a steep fall and a modest recovery that tapered off towards the end of trading, brokers said.

Housing Development Finance Corporation Bank was the second highest gainer, closing at 1,200 rupees, up 200 or 20 percent, on just one transaction of 100 shares.

Index heavyweight John Keells Holdings closed flat at 163 rupees and Hayleys closed at 380.40 rupees, up 17.90.

Commercial Bank closed flat at 100 rupees with over 10.6 million shares changing hands and boosting turnover.

Acme Printing & Packaging was the third highest gained, closing at 26.50 rupees, up 3.60 with over 1.3 million shares done.

PC House was the most actively traded stock, closing at 11.10 rupees, up one rupee, with 8.1 million shares done.

HVA Foods was also heavily traded, closing at 20.90 rupees, down 20 cents with over 2.4 million shares changing hands.