The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) experienced a rise of 0.43 percent on Wednesday, driven by gains in Dialog Axiata, bank, and capital goods stocks, according to data available on its site. The All Share Price Index increased by 100.90 points, closing at 23,708.70, with a steady rise throughout the session.
The more liquid S&P SL20 index closed 0.98 percent higher, gaining 63.65 points to end at 6,558.41. The indices were bolstered by significant crossings involving Dialog Axiata, Sampath Bank, and Cargills (Ceylon).
Dialog Axiata saw a rise of 1.70 rupees, closing at 33.60. Other key contributors included Melstacorp, which increased by 4.50 rupees to 180, NTB, which gained 14.25 rupees to reach 351.75, Lanka IOC, up by 7 rupees to 144.25, and Hayleys, which rose by 3.25 rupees to 210.25. These moves helped propel the ASPI to a higher close.
Market turnover increased significantly to 9.2 billion rupees from the previous session’s 4.9 billion rupees. Capital goods contributed 1.4 billion rupees, banks accounted for 1.2 billion rupees, and telecommunications added 1.7 billion rupees to the turnover. Share volume was recorded at 326,231,650, with 49,537 trades taking place during the session.
In the broader region, equity markets had a mixed close on Monday. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index exceeded the 54,000 mark for the first time, buoyed by optimism surrounding aggressive fiscal policies, as reported by Japan’s The Mainichi newspaper. The index rose by 1.48 percent to close at 54,341.23, driven by speculation that a potential snap election victory for the ruling bloc would support Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s fiscal strategies.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index reached a decade high, closing 0.56 percent stronger at 26,999.81. According to The Standard, the performance was influenced by the mainland market’s response to China’s three major exchanges raising margin requirements.
Meanwhile, India’s Nifty 50 was down by 0.24 percent, trading at 25,670.70, while the Sensex index decreased by 0.26 percent, closing at 83,413.18. Pakistan’s Karachi Stock Exchange 100 index fell by 0.55 percent to 182,935.89. Singapore’s Straits Times Index (STI) traded 0.11 percent higher, gaining 5.380 points to close at 4,812.510.
As of 3:20 pm Sri Lankan time, spot gold was trading at 4,637.27 US dollars, marking an increase of 7.51 percent over the past 30 days.
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