Sri Lankan shares ended lower for a fourth straight session on Wednesday, as losses in heavyweight financial stocks weighed on investor sentiment.

The benchmark CSE All Share Index closed down 0.17pc lower at 4,782.43.

Lender Sampath Bank PLC and insurer Ceylinco Insurance Plc were among the biggest drags, falling 8pc and 9.4pc, respectively.

Hospital operator Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC rose 7.2pc, making it the biggest gainer for the day.

Trading volumes on the benchmark index slumped to 49.2 million from 192.4 million in the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 264.1 million Sri Lankan rupees ($1.42 million) worth of shares, according to exchange data.

Equity market turnover was 1.3 billion Sri Lankan rupees, data showed.

The Sri Lankan rupee was quoted at 185.75 against the US dollar as of 1324 GMT, marginally stronger compared with last session's close of 185.80, according to Refinitiv data.