Sri Lankan shares ended nearly 1% higher on Wednesday, boosted by financial and industrial stocks.

The benchmark stock index ended up 0.97% at 7,884.45. The index has now notched 15 sessions of gains out of 16 sessions.

Trading volume on the CSE All Share Index fell to 287.96 million from 690.06 million in the previous session.

Holding company Hayleys Plc and investment company Vallibel One Plc were the top boosts to the index, gaining 14.5% and 10.1%, respectively.

Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 774.2 million rupees ($3.97 million) worth of shares, according to exchange data.

India's foreign ministry on Tuesday said COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Sri Lanka were awaiting regulatory clearances.

The island nation has recorded 54,419 total confirmed coronavirus cases and 273 deaths, according to government data.

The Sri Lankan rupee was last quoted at 195 against the US dollar as of 11:36 GMT, 1.56% weaker for the day compared to last session's close of 192, according to Refinitiv data.

Equity market turnover was 9.37 billion rupees, exchange data showed.