Jan 13, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks plunge 0.55 percent for the fifth consecutive day with tobacco and insurance firms gaining amid net foreign buying, brokers said.
The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 33.25 points higher at 6,116.39, up 0.55 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 9.48 points higher at 3,393.99, up 0.28 percent.
Turnover was 1.37 billion rupees, down from 1.38 billion rupees last Friday, with stocks of 68 firms closing in the red against 127 gainers.
HNB closed 90 cents lower at 154.10 rupees with four off market transactions of 346.75 million rupees contributing to 25 percent of the total turnover today.
Aitken Spence closed 4.00 rupees lower at 102.20 rupees with market transactions of 154.57 million rupees contributing to 11 percent of the turnover.
The Finance Company closed 1.00 rupee higher at 13.70 rupees, attracting most number of trades during the day.
Foreigners bought 358 million rupees worth shares while selling 289 million rupees of shares.
Ceylon Tobacco Company closed 36.30 rupees higher at 1,226.30 rupees and Ceylinco Insurance closed 133.30 rupees higher at 1,339.80 rupees, contributing most to the index gain.
Hemas Holdings closed 1.80 rupees higher at 37.50 rupees and Lanka Orix Leasing Company closed 90 cents higher at 72.40 rupees.
DFCC dropped 50 cents at 150.10 rupees and NDB closed 4.30 rupees higher at 184.80 rupees.
Commercial Bank closed 40 cents higher at 126.70 rupees and Commercial Leasing and Finance ended 10 cents lower at 4.10 rupees.
Cargills Ceylon closed flat at 148.00 rupees and JKH fall 80 cents at 231.00 rupees.
JKH’s W0022 warrants closed 1.10 rupees lower at 83.90 rupees and its W0023 warrants closed flat at 90.00 rupees.
Carson Cumberbatch ended 3.50 rupees lower at 351.50 rupees and Nestle Lanka dropped 11.70 rupees at 2,115.10 rupees.
Distilleries ended 1.50 rupees higher at 201.50 rupees and Bukit Darah closed 2.10 rupees lower at 617.90 rupees.
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