Sri Lankan rupee up

The rupee ended 0.39% firmer at 180.40/60 per dollar on Monday, compared with Friday's close of 181.10/25. The currency is up 1.22% so far this year.

Sri Lankan shares ended weaker on Monday, slipping from their highest in 10 months hit in the previous session, as investors sold diversified shares two weeks ahead of presidential polls. Foreign investors were net buyers of riskier assets for the first time in nine sessions on Monday. They bought a net 112.2 million rupees ($621,778.89) worth of shares on Monday, but they have been net sellers of 4.33 billion rupees worth of equities so far this year, according to index data.

Equity market turnover was 709.6 million rupees, more than this year's daily average of about 673.3 million rupees. Last year's daily average was 834 million rupees.

Meanwhile, foreign investors bought government securities on a net basis for the second time in four weeks, buying a net 1.55 billion rupees worth of government securities in the week ended Oct. 30.