Shares rise as financial, industrial stocks gain

REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares ended more than 1 percent higher yesterday, boosted by gains in financial and industrial stocks.The CSE All-Share index rose 1.43 percent to close at 11,178.43.
 Commercial Leasing and Finance PLC and LOLC Finance PLC were the top boosts on the index, rising 14.8 percent and 19.81 percent, respectively.
The equity market’s turnover was Rs.5.49 billion (US$ 27.18 million), according to stock exchange data.Trading volume fell to 490.52 million shares from 617.4 million shares in the previous session.
Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth Rs.153.7 million, as per exchange data.
The island-nation reported 757 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 569,928, while deaths rose by 28 to 14,533, data from the country’s health bureau showed.
About 63.16 percent of the country’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka ordered a countrywide recall of cooking gas cylinders on Wednesday after hundreds of unexplained explosions and fires in recent weeks which have injured several people.