Sri Lanka stocks down 0.80 percent

June 28, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lankan stocks slipped 0.80 percent on Thursday, though big ticket deals in Eden Hotel Lanka, John Keells Holdings PLC and PC House Holdings PLC helped swell turnover, brokers said. Market heavyweight John Keells Holdings, slipped 4.00 rupees to 186.00 rupees on trades of 873,554 shares. A parcel of 280,000 JKH shares sold at 185.00 rupees during the day, while another block of 400,000 JKH sold at 185.00 rupees.

PCH Holdings, a computer peripheral company, saw a block 2.0 million shares trade at 15.00 rupees. The counter closed up 4.70 rupees to 14.00 rupees on volumes of 5.15 million shares.

Dialog Axiata PLC, the country’s largest mobile phone operator, slipped 10 cents to 6.10 rupees on trades of 5.04 million shares. A block of 5.0 million Dialog shares traded at 6.20 rupees. Colombo’s All Share Price Index dipped 39.78 points to 4,955.91, the liquid Milanka Price Index shed 48.15 points or 1.09 percent to 4,385.81 and the S&P Sri Lanka 20 indice dipped 0.89 percent or 25.36 points to end at 2,819.87, according to Colombo Stock Exchange figures.

Thursday’s turnover was 797.24 million rupees, largely driven by 386.37 million rupees worth of transactions in Eden Hotel Lanka, figures showed. Brokers speculated that the LOLC Group may have transferred some of their Eden shares within the group.

A block of 12,877,306 Eden Hotel shares was sold a t 30.00 rupees each, brokers said. But the counter closed flat at 29.50 rupees on volumes of 12.88 million shares.