Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.2-pct on seven week high

July 23, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stocks closed up 0.18 percent on Thursday on a seven week high with index heavy stocks continuing to show gains, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 12.99 points higher at 7,212.62 up 0.18 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 3.38 points higher at 4,041.21 up 0.08 percent. Turnover was 2.21 billion rupees, up from 1.62 billion rupees Wednesday with 90 stocks closing positive against 64 negative. The main index showed gains in John Keels Holdings closing at 190.00 rupees, up 1.20 rupees with one million shares traded off the floor at 190.50 rupees. Hemas Holdings closed at 86.00 rupees, up 3.40 rupees. "Foreign investors were net buyers with a net foreign inflow of 931 million rupees while foreign investor participation was 35 percent," lanka Securities said. "Net foreign inflows of 806 million rupees was seen in Asiri Hospital Holdings, John Keells Holdings 187 million and Hemas Holdings 13 million," "Net foreign out flow of 65 million was seen in Commercial Bank." In banking stocks, Commercial bank closed at 168.30 rupees, up 0.20 rupees with three off the floor trades of 1.4 million shares at 168.50 and 168.00 rupees. DFCC closed flat at 198.00 rupees.