FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – On Friday afternoon, the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) indices exhibited upward movement, with the All Share Price Index (ASPI) experiencing an increase of 0.40 percent, according to CSE data.
The ASPI rose by 86.63 points, reaching 21,625.63, while the more active S&P SL20 index climbed 0.56 percent, corresponding to a gain of 33.53 points, bringing its total to 6,065.62.
Several stocks positively impacted the ASPI, including Sampath Bank, which increased by 1.63 percent to 140.00 rupees, Melstacorp, up 2.01 percent to 190.00 rupees, Nations Trust Bank, which rose by 4.26 percent to 318.00 rupees, and Dialog Axiata, gaining 1.52 percent to reach 46.90 rupees.
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Conversely, the market saw declines from SMB Finance, which fell by 9.09 percent to 1.00 rupee, ACL Cables, down 0.73 percent to 95.50 rupees, National Development Bank, decreasing by 0.44 percent to 112.00 rupees, and DFCC Bank, which dropped by 0.39 percent to 128.50 rupees.
The total market turnover was recorded at 696.4 million rupees, with the Food, Beverage & Tobacco sector leading with a turnover of 237.9 million rupees.
Sampath Bank recently announced a profit of 11.03 billion rupees for the quarter ending June 30, 2026, marking a significant 64.6 percent increase compared to the same quarter in the previous year.
Additionally, the bank disclosed plans to raise up to 7 billion rupees through a second issuance of Basel III-compliant Tier 2 debentures, with the possibility of raising an additional 3 billion rupees in case of oversubscription. (Colombo/August 14, 2026)
