Sri Lankan shares end higher as IT, consumer discretionary stocks gain

Sri Lankan shares closed higher for a sixth straight session on Thursday, aided by gains in information technology and consumer discretionary stocks.

The CSE All-Share index settled 0.56% higher at 13,198.80. Sri Lanka markets are closed on Friday for a holiday.

Sri Lankans began voting on Thursday in a snap general election to decide if the Indian Ocean island nation will give its new leftist president greater legislative power to help the poor as it recovers from a financial meltdown.

Industrial Asphalts (Ceylon) and Blue Diamonds Jewellery Worldwide were the top percent gainers on the CSE All-Share, rising 33.33% each.

Sri Lankan shares end higher as real estate, industrials and financials gain

Trading volume on the index fell to 156.7 million shares from 204.6 million shares in the previous session.

The equity market’s turnover fell to 3.79 billion Sri Lankan rupees (nearly $13 million) from 6.98 billion rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.

Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading stocks worth 255.7 million rupees, while domestic investors were net buyers, purchasing shares worth 3.69 billion rupees, the data showed.