The All Share Price Index closed Thursday at 20,880.90, up 67.97 points or 0.33%, recovering from Wednesday’s flat session — though the index finished below the levels it reached in morning trade.
The more liquid S&P SL20 closed at 5,902.46, up 8.30 points or 0.14%, EconomyNext reported. Turnover was Rs. 1.43 billion, down from Rs. 1.55 billion the previous session.
“There is a slight renewal in sentiment, but I don’t think this is properly indicative of a long-term trend,” said Raynal Wickremeratne of NDB Securities.
The day faded from its highs
The index was stronger earlier in the day than it was at the close. It opened up 0.43% at 20,902.94 and was quoted at 20,908 — up 0.46%, or 95.31 points — late in the morning, before easing to finish 67.97 points ahead. The pattern is a milder version of Wednesday’s session, when a 117-point morning gain was given up entirely and the ASPI ended 4.89 points down.
Thursday’s close implies a previous close of 20,812.93, which matches the figure recorded for Wednesday exactly — confirming the two sessions are consecutive and comparably measured.
Notably, the index rose on lower turnover than the session it was recovering from. A gain on thinner volume is weaker evidence of broad buying than the headline percentage suggests, which is consistent with the caution in Wickremeratne’s assessment.
Where the money went
Banking led turnover at Rs. 489.34 million, followed by capital goods at Rs. 421.33 million. Between them the two sectors accounted for roughly 64% of the day’s total.
Gainers
| Stock | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Singer (Sri Lanka) | Rs. 78.60 | +2.88% |
| LOLC Holdings | Rs. 443.00 | +1.72% |
| Dialog Axiata | Rs. 45.80 | +1.33% |
| Carson Cumberbatch | Rs. 729.50 | +1.32% |
| Commercial Bank of Ceylon | Rs. 203.00 | +0.25% |
Decliners
| Stock | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| LOLC Finance | Rs. 5.10 | −3.77% |
| People’s Leasing & Finance | Rs. 17.50 | −2.78% |
| Sri Lanka Telecom | Rs. 83.90 | −1.29% |
LOLC Holdings rose while LOLC Finance fell nearly 4%, the two moving in opposite directions within the same group.
Not reported
EconomyNext does not give the day’s gainer-to-decliner count or disclose net foreign buying or selling.
