Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.8-pct: Two week high

July 16, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stocks closed up 0.82 percent on Thursday, on two week high with telecom and banking sector stocks showing gains, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 57.95 points higher at 7,124.14 up 0.82 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 33.50 points higher at 3,991.21 up 0.85 percent. Turnover was 1.56 billion rupees, up from 833.5 million rupees Wednesday with 125 stocks closing positive against 38 negative. The main index showed gains in banking sector stocks across the board with Commercial bank closing at 169.90 rupees, up 3.20 rupees with 600,000 shares traded off the floor at 169.10 rupees. Sri Lanka Telecom closed at 50.00 rupees, up 1.80 rupees and Dialog Axiata closed at 10.90 rupees, up 0.20 rupees. Main contributor to turnover was John Keells Holdings closing at 183.00 rupees, up 1.00 rupees with over 2.1 million shares traded off the floor at 183.00 rupees. In other banking stocks, Hatton National Bank closed at 212.00 rupees, up 2.00 rupees and Sampath Bank closed at 260.60 rupees, up 2.00 rupees.