Sri Lankan shares close flat

According to Business Recorder, Sri Lankan equities ended Monday unchanged. Utility counters rose, but these advances were neutralised by weakness in materials and healthcare firms. The CSE All Share index finished at 21,623.66, showing no net movement.

SMB Finance PLC and Amana Takaful Life PLC led the percentage gainers on the index. Activity thinned during the session, with traded volume dropping to 64 million shares from 79 million the previous day. Turnover also slipped, to 2.13 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($6.5 million) against 2.68 billion rupees earlier.

Exchange data showed foreign investors were net sellers to the tune of 41.1 million rupees. Domestic participants, by contrast, were net buyers, acquiring shares worth 2.11 billion rupees. Domestic investors thus provided the bulk of buying during the session.