Sri Lankan shares closed little changed on Thursday, hovering near their lowest close in eight months hit in the previous session, as gains in plantation and beverage stocks offset falls in palm oil and diversified shares. The Colombo Stock Index ended 0.07 percent higher at 6,357.04. It had posted its lowest close since April 17 on Wednesday.
"Foreign selling continued," said Dimantha Mathew, head of research at First Capital Holdings, adding that was a bit of a worrying sign for the market. Turnover was 1.2 billion rupees ($7.84 million), its highest since November23, and more than this year's daily average of 941.5 million rupees.
Foreign investors, who have been net buyers of 18.1 billion rupees worth of shares so far this year, sold equities worth net 332.9 million rupees on Thursday. Shares of Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc, the country's biggest listed lender, ended 1.4 percent firmer, while Carson Cumberbatch Plc rose 1.6 percent.
Conglomerate John Keells Holdings Plc fell 0.6 percent, while Hemas Holdings Plc ended 1.7 percent weaker.
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