Sri Lankan shares slump as country sees highest single-day COVID-19 death toll

Sri Lankan shares ended more than 1% lower on Thursday, weighed down by losess in industrial and financial stocks, and as the island nation suffered its highest single-day death toll due to COVID-19.

The CSE All-Share index ended 1.42% lower at 7,980.91.

Conglomerates LOLC Holdings and Expolanka Holdings Plc were the top drags on the index, falling 3% and 2.4%, respectively.

The island-nation reported 124 deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day death toll so far, bringing the total number of fatalities to 5,464.

Cases rose by 2,987 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total confirmed cases to 342,079.

Data from Johns Hopkins university showed the country had fully vaccinated about 12.74% of its population so far.

Consumer discretionary, financial stocks boost Sri Lankan shares

Trading volume on the exchange rose to 208.4 million shares from 121.4 million shares in the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth 485.3 million rupees ($2.44 million), exchange data showed.

The equity market's turnover was 4.14 billion rupees, according to the exchange data.