Sri Lankan shares boosted by financials and industrials

Sri Lankan shares closed higher on Monday for an eighth session in nine, helped by gains in financials and industrial stocks.

The CSE All-Share Index ended up 0.32% at 7,591.90.

Financial services company Central Finance Company Plc and liquor products distiller and manufacturer Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka Plc were the top boosts to the index, rising 13.9% and 2.5%, respectively.

Sri Lanka has reported 205,333 total confirmed coronavirus cases, as of Monday, and 1,696 deaths, according to health ministry data.

On Sunday, the island nation received a million more doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

Trading volume rose to 114.9 million from 96.3 million in the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth 108.4 million rupees ($551,653.94), according to exchange data.

The Sri Lankan rupee was last quoted at 196.5 against the US dollar, as of 1326 GMT, 0.25% stronger for the day compared to last session's close of 197, according to Refinitiv data.

Equity market turnover was 2.10 billion rupees, exchange data showed.