Sri Lankan shares gain over 1% after central bank holds interest rates

Gains in financials and industrials stocks helped Sri Lankan shares snap three straight sessions of losses on Thursday, after the country's central bank held interest rates steady.

The CSE All-Share index settled 1.31% higher at 9,621.65.

Commercial Leasing and Finance Plc and conglomerate Expolanka Holdings were the top boosts to the index, rising 6.5% and 3.3%, respectively.

Sri Lanka's central bank held interest rates steady on Thursday as it sought to support economic recovery after increasing rates in August, but said that if needed, it would take measures to contain inflationary pressures.

Sri Lankan shares end lower as financials weigh

The equity market's turnover was 2.65 billion rupees ($13.18 million), according to stock exchange data.

Trading volume on the exchange fell to nearly 105.4 million shares, from 146.8 million shares in the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth about 28 million rupees, as per exchange data.

The island-nation reported 680 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 529,081, data from the country's health bureau showed.

It reported 31 fatalities due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 13,408, according to the data.

About 57.58% of the country's population is fully vaccinated so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.