Crossing of 20 million Access drives turnover to top billion

Oct 11, 2013 (LBO) - Sri Lanka stocks ended a seven-day rally to close 0.17 percent lower Friday and the rupee gained slightly against the US dollar, brokers and dealers said.

The benchmark Colombo All Share Price Index closed 9.95 points lower at 5,947.42, down 0.17 percent, after reaching an intraday high of 5,969.68, provisional data showed.

The S&P SL20 closed 3.29 points lower at 3,283.62, down 0.10 percent.

Turnover amounted to 1,020.88 million rupees, up from 575.09 million rupees a day earlier, with shares of 110 firms making losses against 67 that gained.

Foreigners bought shares worth 246.98 million rupees, up from 225.82 million a day earlier, and sold shares worth 18.32 million rupees, down from 60.11 million rupees the previous day.

JKH closed flat at 215.00 rupees and features in three crossings and HNB closed flat at 150.00 rupees with two crossings.

Lanka IOC closed 10 cents lower at 25.00 rupees and featured in a single crossing. Commercial Bank closed 40 cents higher at 119.30 rupees and Sampath Bank closed 60 cents higher at 174.00 rupees.

Lion Brewery closed 13.90 rupees higher at 374.90 rupees and Ceylon Beverages Holdings closed 41.30 rupees higher at 541.30 rupees.

NDB Capital Holdings closed 23.80 rupees higher at 485.00 rupees and Commercial Leasing and Finance closed 20 cents higher at 4.20 rupees.

Royal Ceramics closed 5.50 rupees higher at 95.00 rupees.

Asian Hotels and Properties closed 5.00 rupees lower at 70.00 rupees.

Nestle Lanka closed 27.00 rupees lower at 1,945.40 rupees and trans Asia Hotels closed 4.30 rupees lower at 84.70 rupees.

DFCC Bank closed 2.90 rupees lower at 121.10 rupees and Cargills Ceylon closed 2.90 rupees lower at 151.00 rupees.

Speculative play continued in Touchwood closing 10 cents higher at 4.80 rupees with more than 5.1 million shares changing hands.

Access Engineering, closing 30 cents higher at 22.00 rupees, saw more than 21.14 million shares change hands.

PC House, closing flat at 80 cents, saw more than 6.12 million shares traded.

Laugfs Gas closed 50 cents lower at 27.00 rupees and saw more than 2.97 shares change hands in a single crossing. the shares were purchased by the parent company, Laugfs Holdings Ltd, a stock exchange filing said.

The rupee gained slightly against the US dollar trading at 131.07/10 in late trading in the spot market after opening at 131.12/13.
Dealers said the rupee gained amidst thin volumes of export conversions and dollar sales by banks.

A liquid five year bond was trading at 11.37/40 percent after opening at 11.47/60, driven by domestic investor sentiment, dealers said.

Money market rates hit a 20 month low yesterday with the overnight call money rate (for interbank borrowings not backed by gilt) reaching 8.30/35 percent and the repo rate (for gilt-backed interbank borrowings reaching 7.70/75 percent).
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/news/sri-lanka-stocks-end-rally,-rupee-steady/1314211487

COLOMBO, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan stocks edged down from their seven-week highs on Friday, snapping a seven-session gaining streak, led by hotel shares like Asian Hotels and Properties PLC.

The main share index slipped 0.17 percent, or 9.95 points, to 5,947.42. On Thursday, it had closed at its highest level since Aug. 22.

Foreign investors were net buyers of 228.7 million rupees ($1.74 million) worth of shares, extending the net buying so far this year to 21.46 billion rupees.

Shares in Asian Hotels and Properties PLC fell 6.67 percent to 70 rupees.

Block deals in construction firm Access Engineering accounted for 46 percent of the day's 1.02 billion rupee turnover, more than this year's daily average of about 872 million rupees. Access Engineering closed higher 0.3 percent.

($1 = 131.1500 Sri Lanka rupees)

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

(ranga.sirilal@thomsonreuters.com)(+94-11-232-5540)

(Reuters Messaging: ranga.sirilal.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)(twitter.com/rangab a)
http://www.xe.com/news/2013/10/11/3600101.htm

Indices down, block trades generates business

A crossing of 20 million Access Engineering shares at a price of Rs. 22 during the final minutes of trading on the Colombo bourse yesterday pushed turnover to Rs. 1.02 billion although both indices edged down – the All Share by 9.95 points (0.17%) and the S&P SL20 by 3.29 points (0.10%) with 105 losers outpacing 80 gainers while 59 counters closed flat.

``The Access block had been available for some time though at a price higher than which it was eventually done,’’ a broker said. ``Block trades accounted for a lion’s share of the day’s business volumes.’’

Crossings yesterday were in HNB where three parcels of just under half a million shares were crossed at Rs. 150 in deals worth nearly Rs. 74 million, JKH with three parcels of over 0.5 million shares were crossed at Rs. 217 in trades worth Rs. 118 million, Laughs (voting) where nearly three million shares were crossed at Rs. 28 in a deal worth Rs. 82.8 million, LIOC where a million shares were crossed at Rs. 25 and the Access parcel worth Rs. 440 million.

The block trades were worth a total of Rs. 739. 8 million and accounted for the bulk of the day’s business, brokers said.

Apart from the crossing, over 1.1 million Access was done on the trading floor between Rs.21.50 and Rs. 22 closing 30 cents up at Rs. 22. JKH also saw floor trades of 0.1 million shares done between Rs. 215 and Rs. 217 closing flat at Rs. 215.

Touchwood continued to attract vigorous trading with 5.1 million shares done between Rs. 4.50 and Rs. 4.90 closing 10 cents up at Rs. 4.80. Other low priced shares demonstrating volume included Asia Asset Finance which closed 10 cents down on over 2.4 million shares traded and PC House which closed flat at 80 cts. on 6.1 million shares.

Textured Jersey saw 0.5 million shares done closing flat at Rs. 14.70.

Among the blue chips showing volume and price gains were ComBank (voting) up 30 cents to Rs. 119.30 on nearly 0.2 million shares, Sampath up Rs. 2.40 to Rs. 174 on over 0.1 million shares and Ceylinco Insurance up Rs. 11 to Rs. 386 on 16,120 shares.

Colombo Fort Land and Buildings was down 40 cents to close at Rs. 32.50 on nearly 0.3 million shares.
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