The Colombo Stock Exchange closed higher on Wednesday, with the All Share Price Index recovering the ground it lost in the previous session.
The ASPI rose 15.77 points, or 0.07 percent, to 21,418.57. The more liquid S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index gained 20.87 points, or 0.35 percent, to close at 6,004.01 — taking the benchmark of the market’s largest counters back above the 6,000 mark.
Market turnover was Rs. 2.055 billion, up sharply from the Rs. 1.52 billion traded on Tuesday. Food, Beverage and Tobacco led activity with Rs. 783.7 million.
Gainers and losers
Dialog Axiata was among the strongest positive contributors, closing 1.58 percent higher at Rs. 45.00. National Development Bank rose 1.85 percent to Rs. 110.25, Dipped Products added 4.78 percent to Rs. 59.20, John Keells Holdings edged up 0.50 percent to Rs. 20.00 and Central Finance Company gained 1.21 percent to Rs. 230.00.
Ceylon Beverage Holdings was the heaviest drag, falling 6.03 percent to Rs. 2,800.00. Cargills (Ceylon) shed 1.93 percent to Rs. 662.00 and Ceylon Cold Stores slipped 1.38 percent to Rs. 125.25.
Citizens Development Business Finance disclosed that its executive director D. A. De Silva bought 650,000 voting shares at Rs. 40.00 each on 11 August. The stock closed 1.02 percent higher at Rs. 39.50. AMW Capital Leasing and Finance said Fitch Ratings had upgraded its National Long-Term Rating to ‘BBB+(lka)’ from ‘BBB(lka)’, with a stable outlook.
A discrepancy resolved
Wednesday’s numbers settle a conflict flagged in Tuesday’s market report, where the Daily Mirror and EconomyNext gave opposite directions for the S&P SL20 — the Daily Mirror putting it down 2.36 points at 5,983.14, EconomyNext up 2.12 points at 5,987.61.
A Wednesday close of 6,004.01 after a 20.87-point gain implies a Tuesday close of exactly 5,983.14. EconomyNext’s own Wednesday figures therefore support the Daily Mirror’s account of Tuesday’s session rather than its own.