Shares end higher on industrials, financials boost

REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares closed higher yesterday, after two straight sessions of losses, helped by industrials and financials stocks.

The CSE All-Share index was up 0.64 percent at 11,753.44 points. For the week, the index rose 3.2 percent in its second straight weekly gain.

Conglomerate Expolanka Holdings PLC and Senkadagala Finance PLC were the top boosts to the index, climbing 2 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The equity market’s turnover was about Rs.4.80 billion (US $ 23.88 million), according to stock exchange data.
Trading volume rose to 314.1 million shares from 234.2 million shares in the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth Rs.354.9 million, as per exchange data.
The island-nation reported 758 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 577,724 and deaths rose by 21 to 14,698, data from the country’s health bureau showed.
About 63.30 percent of the country’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.