The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) saw its All Share Price Index (ASPI) rise by 0.29% on Monday, closing 63.49 points higher at 22,132.33. In contrast, the S&P SL20 index experienced a slight decline of 0.06%, or 3.74 points, ending the session at 6,037.79. This performance was largely driven by investor interest in banking and retail shares.
Among the top contributors to the ASPI were Colombo Dockyard, which increased by 40.25 rupees to 171.75 rupees, Hatton National Bank (HNB), which rose by 2 rupees to 390.25 rupees, Richard Pieris & Company, which gained 60 cents to reach 41.20 rupees, DFCC Bank, up by 1.25 rupees to 145.50 rupees, and Ceylon Cold Stores, which climbed 2.25 rupees to 109.75 rupees. Colombo Dockyard was the session’s leading gainer, contributing a turnover of 585 rupees.
Market turnover decreased to 3.7 billion rupees from 4.1 billion rupees in the previous session. The volume of shares traded was 108,421,676 with 29,511 transactions recorded. The session also saw a net foreign outflow of 200.46 million rupees, primarily driven by John Keells, which accounted for 152.5 million rupees of the outflow.
In corporate news, Sri Lanka’s Galadari Hotels has extended the project implementation period for its ongoing refurbishment by 12 months, now set to continue until November 9, 2026. The refurbishment costs have surged from 33.5 million dollars to 48.5 million dollars. Galadari’s stock rose by 10 cents, trading at 18.10 rupees.
Equity markets in the region closed lower as investors booked profits. According to Reuters, Indian shares started the week sluggishly, continuing their downward trend due to losses in Reliance Industries and persistent foreign outflows, which dampened risk appetite. The Nifty 50 was down by 0.38% at 25,942.10, while the Sensex index decreased by 0.41% to 84,695.54.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index ended in negative territory, declining by 0.39% to close at 50,550.17, as profit-taking sentiment prevailed with the business year drawing to a close, as reported by Japan’s Mainichi newspaper. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Karachi Stock Exchange 100 index rose by 0.85% to 173,873.58. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.71% to 25,635.23, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index (STI) decreased by 0.05%, closing 2.510 points lower at 4,633.640.
As of 4:00 pm Sri Lankan time, spot gold was trading at 4,478.20 US dollars, marking a decline of 1.29%.
