Shares end higher as financials gain

REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares closed higher yesterday, boosted by gains in financial and consumer staples stocks.
The CSE All-Share index settled up 0.60 percent at 7,913.47.

Browns Investments Plc and Lanka ORIX Leasing Company Plc were the top boosts to the index, ending up 3.3 percent and 1.2 percent respectively.

Domestic coronavirus cases continued to rise, with total confirmed infections in the country increasing to 276,106, while the death toll was at 3,533 as of yesterday, according to health ministry data.

The island nation has fully vaccinated about 6.53 percent of its population so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins.

Trading volume on the exchange rose to 122.8 million shares, from 120.8 million shares in the previous session.
Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth Rs.232.3 million (US$ 1.17 million), exchange data showed.

The Sri Lankan rupee was last quoted at 199 against the U.S. dollar as of 1124 GMT, according to Refinitiv data. The equity market’s turnover was Rs.1.93 billion, according to exchange data.