Sri Lankan shares edge lower on losses in financials

Sri Lankan shares closed slightly lower on Tuesday after hitting a record high in the previous session, hurt by weakness in financials and industrial stocks.

The CSE All-Share index settled 0.09% lower at 9,533.64.

Conglomerate Expolanka Holdings Plc and LOLC Development Finance were the top drags on the index, falling 3.2% and 1.6%, respectively.

The equity market's turnover was about 4.72 billion rupees ($23.66 million), according to stock exchange data.

Trading volume on the exchange rose to 294 million shares from 228 million shares in the previous session.

Sri Lankan shares end at record highs as financials gain

Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth about 174.8 million rupees, as per exchange data.

The island nation reported 786 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 521,218, the health bureau data showed.

It reported 43 fatalities due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 13,102, according to the data.

About 54.40% of the country's population is fully vaccinated so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.