Sri Lankan shares end lower as financials weigh

Sri Lankan shares closed slightly lower on Tuesday, in their second straight session of losses, hurt by financials and consumer staples stocks.

The CSE All-Share index ended 0.09% down at 9,640.36.

Browns Investment Plc and conglomerate Melstacorp Plc were among the top drags on the index, falling 0.9% and 1%, respectively.

The equity market's turnover was 2.06 billion rupees ($10.30 million), according to stock exchange data.

Trading volume on the exchange fell to nearly 98.5 million shares from 115.4 million shares in the previous session.

Sri Lankan shares end lower; bonds fall after central bank scraps buyback plan

Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth 44.6 million rupees, as per exchange data.

As of Monday, the island-nation has reported 527,064 total confirmed COVID-19 cases and 13,354 deaths, data from the country's health bureau showed.

About 56.87% of the country's population is fully vaccinated so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.