Sri Lankan shares fell on Friday to a near two-week closing low, led by shares that could be easily affected by the floods, amid foreign selling and ahead of the central bank's policy rate announcement due later in the day. Lion Brewery Plc dropped 3.45 percent, a day after the company said it had halted production in its main factory in Colombo suburb due to the floods.
Investors awaited some cues on the interest rates ahead of the central bank's May monetary policy decision. The benchmark stock index fell 0.22 percent, or 14.86 points, to 6633.27, its lowest close since May 10, and the index fell 1.12 percent during the week, the first weekly fall in seven weeks. Yields on T-bills, which move in tandem with market interest rates, rose between 11 and 14 basis points at a weekly auction on Wednesday.
Hopes have faded for the survival of about 150 people trapped under the mud and rubble of two landslides in Sri Lanka, as heavy rain hampered rescue operations and the death toll from the disaster rose to 64 on Friday. Turnover was 839.2 million rupees ($5.76 million), more than this year's daily average of around 796.4 million rupees.
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