ComBank (voting) generates nearly 50% of day’s turnover

Oct 29, 2013 (LBO) - Sri Lanka stocks closed 0.38 percent lower amidst speculative trades and the rupee weakened amid excess rupee liquidity in the banking system.

The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 22.44 points lower at 5,906.53, down 0.38 percent, after reaching an intra-day high of 5,931.95.

The S&P SL20 closed 1.14 lower at 3,260.62, down 0.03 percent, after reaching an intraday high of 3,269.39.

Turnover was 528.71 million rupees, up from 372.54 million a day earlier, with stocks of 98 firms closing in the red against 78 gainers.

Nestle Lanka closed 39.20 rupees lower at 1,910.80 rupees and Colombo Leasing and Finance closed 30 cents lower at 3.90 rupees.

Cargills Ceylon closed 7.90 rupees lower at 148.10 rupees and Sri Lanka Telecom closed 70 cents lower at 39.10 rupees.

Distilleries closed 3.80 rupees lower at 185.00 rupees.

JKH closed 1.80 rupees higher at 219.90 rupees and Com Bank closed 1.10 rupees higher at 117.70 rupees and featured in a single crossing.

Bukit Darah closed 7.30 rupees higher at 683.00 rupees and Ceylinco Insurance closed 23.90 rupees higher at 1,300.00 rupees.

Textured Jersey closed 50 cents higher at 15.80 rupees.

Speculative trading continued in troubled Touchwood, up 10 cents to 3.90 rupees, with more than 1.4 million shares changing hands.

PCH Holdings closed 20 cents higher at 1.70 rupees with more than 14.78 million shares traded. PC House closed 10 cents lower at 80 cents with more than 1.3 million shares traded.

Free Lanka closed 10 cents higher at 2.50 rupees with more than 10.7 million shares traded.

NDB Bank closed 10 cents at 158.00 rupees and Union Bank closed 50 cents higher at 17.80 rupees.

The rupee was quoted weaker at 131.05/10 against the US dollar in late trading in the spot market due to importer demand, currency dealers said. The rupee opened at 130.95/131.00 against the US dollar. The Central Bank was seen intervening to keep the rupee steady at 131.10.

The Central Bank has bought hundreds of millions of dollars generating large volumes of rupee liquidity.

Excess rupee liquidity is now about 35 billion rupees pointing around 300 million dollars of unsterilized purchases.

Unless they are followed up with unsterilized dollar sales, the rupee's loose peg to the dollar weakens.

A more liquid five year Treasury bond was trading at 10.75/80 percent after opening at 10.72/84 percent amidst heavy trading.
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/news/sri-lanka-stocks-closed-down-0.38-pct,-rupee-weaker/1998819406

COLOMBO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan stocks fell to a near one-week closing low on Tuesday due to thin-trade in large caps and continued foreign outflow while stockbrokers said the market would see sustained gains only after retail investors return.

The main share index fell 0.38 percent, or 22.44 points, to 5,906.53, the lowest close since Oct. 23.

'Unless retail investors return to the market, we would not see a sustained gain,' a stockbroker said on the condition of anonymity. 'Retail investors are still recouping their losses.

Since the index hit its record high of 7,863.74 on Feb. 15, 2011, the stock market has not been able to sustain its gaining trend due to a lack of participation by retailers.

Shares in Nestle Lanka PLC fell 2.01 percent to 1910.80 rupees while Cargills (Ceylon) PLC fell 5.06 percent to 148.10 rupees.

Foreign investors were net sellers for the second straight session on Tuesday. They sold 201.9 million rupees ($1.54 million) worth of shares, but are net buyers worth 22.53 billion rupees so far this year.

The day's turnover was 529 million rupees, well below this year's daily average of 871.6 million rupees.

($1 = 131.0000 Sri Lanka rupees)

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)

(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/2013/10/29/3628457.htm

Both indices down in lackluster trading

The Colombo bourse yesterday continued the previous day’s falling mode with both indices down although turnover was up to Rs. 528.7 million from Monday’s Rs. 372.5 million, with both indices declining – the All Share by 22.44 points (0.38%) while S&P was down a marginal 1.14 points (0.03%) with 95 gainers edging out 94 losers while 59 counters closed flat.

There was a big (relative to turnover) foreign outflow of Rs. 201.9 million with sales of Rs. 251.7 million against purchases Rs. 49.8 million.

``Nearly half the day’s business came off Commercial Bank (voting) where there was a single crossing of 1.8 million shares at Rs. 117 contributing Rs. 215.2 million to turnover while a further 0.3 million shares were done on the floor closing Rs. 1.40 up at Rs. 118 contributing Rs. 36.5 million to turnover,’’ a broker said.

ComBank traded yesterday between Rs. 117 and Rs. 118. Brokers said that the counter had seen volume for the past several days and was the top traded stock on the floor. They said that most of the floor trades too were in fairly large parcels.

"The ASPI ended lower for a second consecutive day amid slightly improved activity levels which were dominated by trades on COMB, inclusive of crossings," John Keells Stock Brokers said in their daily market report.

There was heavy play on penny stock attributed to retail traders with Free Lanka Capital Holdings (FLCH) seeing over 10.7 million shares traded closing 10 cents up at Rs. 2.50, PC House Holdings seeing nearly 14.8 million shares done closing 20 cents up at Rs. 1.70 and Orient Garments closing 30 cents up at Rs. 7.50 on nearly 1.4 million shares.

Other cheap stock that were active included PC Pharma closing at Rs. 1.70 on 2.1 million shares, Touchwood closing at Rs. 3.90 on nearly 1.5 million shares and Seylan Merchant Bank closing at 80 cents on nearly 1.4 million shares.

Brokers said that FLCH, controlled by Browns and LOLC, has been up for sale for the past two years or so and wondered whether any deal was in the offing. However there was no confirmation of any development.

JKH which held the limelight last week with its rights issue with two sets of warrants attached closing on Friday, saw relatively thin trading with 85,515 shares done between Rs. 215 and Rs. 220.90 closing Rs. 1.90 up at Rs. 220 contributing Rs. 18.8 million to turnover.

Tokyo Cement (voting) closed 90 cents up at Rs. 26.60 with 0.6 million shares traded in fairly large parcels between Rs. 26 and Rs. 26.80 with the stock contributing Rs. 16 million to turnover.

Among other most traded counters were NDB down 10 cents to Rs. 158 on 92,237 shares, Union Bank up 40 cents to close at Rs. 17.80 on nearly 0.8 million shares, Textured Jersey up 40 cents to close at Rs. 15.70 on nearly 0.8 million shares, Sampath down Rs. 2.90 top close at Rs. 172 on 42,529 shares and Kelani Tyres down 90 cents to Rs. 50 on over 0.1 million shares.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=91099