The Colombo Stock Exchange rose for a second consecutive session on Thursday, with a single block sale of Commercial Credit and Finance shares pushing turnover to its highest level of the year.

The All Share Price Index gained 102.73 points, or 0.49%, to close at 21,269.67. The index climbed through the morning and briefly approached 21,300 before easing from its intraday high.

The two outlets differed slightly on the S&P Sri Lanka 20. The Daily Mirror put it up 26.40 points, or 0.44%, at 5,971.50; EconomyNext reported a gain of 28.65 points, or 0.48%, to 5,973.74.

The largest book-built trade in CSE history

Total turnover reached Rs. 12.24 billion on about 231.09 million shares — the highest of 2026, according to EconomyNext.

Almost all of that came from negotiated block trades. Crossings generated roughly Rs. 10.15 billion, or close to 83% of equity turnover, the Daily Mirror reported, with the bulk in Commercial Credit and Finance and the remainder in United Motors Lanka.

Commercial Credit alone accounted for about Rs. 9.03 billion in crossings on some 89.78 million shares. EconomyNext reported the transaction as the sale of a 28% stake to an investor group for Rs. 9 billion — a holding previously owned by Singapore’s Group Lease Holdings, which is itself in liquidation. EconomyNext described it as the largest book-built trade in the exchange’s history and the largest single trade on the CSE this year.

The counter closed up 1.65% at Rs. 107.50 and was the session’s biggest individual turnover generator. The Diversified Financials sector consequently dominated activity with Rs. 10.00 billion in turnover.

Breadth positive, foreigners still selling

Market breadth favoured buyers, with 135 securities advancing against 78 declining.

Central Finance was the strongest positive contributor to the ASPI, adding 13.56 points and closing 4.53% higher at Rs. 225.00. Cargills (Ceylon) gained 3.35% to Rs. 679.00 and C.T. Holdings rose 3.68% to Rs. 500.00. Commercial Bank and Hayleys also supported the index.

Ceylinco Insurance was the heaviest drag. Bukit Darah fell 3.73% to Rs. 825.00, with Hatton National Bank and Royal Ceramics also weighing on the market.

Foreign investors remained heavy net sellers, recording an outflow of Rs. 7.97 billion — pressure the Daily Mirror linked largely to the day’s high-value crossings. Foreign selling had also run at Rs. 4.87 billion during Wednesday’s rebound, when Cargills crossings lifted turnover to Rs. 8.48 billion.

Sources: Daily Mirror, EconomyNext.