Dec 28, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed down at 0.44 percent following a Christmas long week-end holiday with index heavy and banking sector stocks making losses, brokers said.
The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed lower at 30.13 points at 6,828.51 down 0.44 percent. S&P SL20 closed 11.03 points down at 3,592.87 down at 0.31 percent.
Turnover was at 354 million rupees, lower than the daily average of 1.1 billion rupees with 45 stocks closing positive against 79 negative.
“There was low investor activity with high cap and banking stocks accounting for the adverse performance of the indexes,” Lanka Securities said.
“Volume-wise it was 21 month low.” The main index showed losses in Sri Lanka Telecom closing at 45.80 rupees, lower 1.60 rupees.Active trading was seen in Hatton National Bank with the stock closing at 210.00 rupees, up 2.00 rupees with one off the floor trade of one million shares at 210.00 rupees with the trade amounting for 59 percent of the days turnover.
Commercial Bank closed at 140.00 rupees, down 1.50 rupees.