CSE indices down for a second day

Profit taking dragged the indices at the Colombo Stock Exchange lower for the second straight day, Tuesday, as the ASPI closed down 45 points (-1.3 percent) to end at 3,483. The more liquid MPI closed down by 64 points (-1.6 percent) at 4,011. Turnover for the day was Rs 740 million with Richard Pieris & Company accounting for Rs 75 million. Richard Pieris closed the day down at Rs 44.25.

MTD Walkers closed the day at Rs 425.75 gaining Rs 43.00 on turnover of Rs 58 million, while Brown and Company closed at Rs 80.75 on turnover of Rs 49 million. Of the large caps, John Keells Holdings closed the day at Rs 174.50, down Rs. 3.50, while Sri Lanka Telecom closed up 25 cents to Rs. 41.75 and Dialog Telekom closed at Rs. 6.75, unchanged.

Major Asian markets were mixed for the day with India’s Bombay Sensex and Japan’s Nikkei down 1 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1 percent. Singapore’s Straits Times Index closed flat while China CSI Index was up marginally.