Sri Lankan shares end at record high on optimism over AstraZeneca's virus vaccine nod

Sri Lankan shares closed at a record high on Friday, helped by gains in financial and consumer staples stocks, and as investors cheered the country's drug regulator giving emergency use approval to AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine.

The benchmark stock index ended up 4.09% at 8,463.43. The index gained 9.4% for the week, its best weekly performance since May 2009.

Sri Lanka's National Medicines Regulatory Authority gave regulatory clearance for emergency use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, state minister Channa Jayasumana told reporters in Colombo.

The island nation will receive shipments of the vaccine from India, though the exact date is unknown.

The country has recorded 56,076 total confirmed coronavirus cases and 276 deaths, according to government data.

Sri Lankan shares have also rallied this week after the tourism department on Monday said it was re-opening the country to international visitors.

Trading volume on the CSE All Share Index rose to 590.37 million from 377.65 million in the previous session.

Holding company Lanka ORIX Leasing Company Plc and conglomerate Carson Cumberbatch Plc were the top boosts to the index, gaining 25% and 24.3%, respectively.

Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 821.2 million rupees ($4.17 million) worth of shares, according to exchange data.

Equity market turnover was 12.85 billion rupees, exchange data showed.