Sri Lanka stocks close higher at 0.3-pct

Apr 24, 2015 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's stocks closed higher, 0.33 per cent with the banking and finance sector stocks showing gains, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 15.39 points higher at 7,129.78, up 0.33 per cent. The S&P SL20 closed 03.06 points lower at 4,023.26, down 0.08 per cent. “The political uncertainty is still keeping the investors on the side lines,” Lanka Securities said. “Yesterday’s speech by the president seems to have put some investors at ease, but everyone is waiting for the vote on the 28th in parliament to see what will happen.” Turnover was 614.39 million rupees up from 593 million rupees, Thursday with 112 stocks closing positive against 59 negative. In banking stocks, Hatton National Bank closing at 230.00 rupees, up 1.80 rupees and Sampath Bank closed at 255.00, up 0.60 rupees. Commercial Bank closed at 171.00 rupees, down 0.40 rupees. In the Finance sector there was one crossing of 500,000 shares at 59.90 rupees with an overall 1.45 million shares traded during the day and the stock closing at 63.40, up 7.30 rupees. Dialog Axiata closed flat at 11.30 rupees.