Sri Lankan shares end flat as industrial stocks counter gains in communication, health

Sri Lankan shares closed largely unchanged on Wednesday as losses in industrial stocks countered gains in communication services and health care.

The CSE All Share index settled up 0.01% at 19,975.5.

SMB Finance PLC and Swadeshi Industrial Works PLC were the top percentage gainers on the CSE All Share index, rising 33.3% and 23.1%, respectively.

Trading volume on the CSE All Share index fell to 136.4 million shares from 137.4 million in the previous session.

Broad gains lift Sri Lankan shares

The equity market’s turnover fell to 4.47 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($14.86 million) from 7.6 billion rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.

Foreign investors were net buyers, purchasing stocks worth 566.5 million rupees, while domestic investors were net sellers,offloading shares worth 4.4 billion rupees, the data showed.