Sri Lankan stocks ended at a record closing high on Tuesday as retailers drove up smaller stock values, despite weaker foreign interest, brokers said. The key Colombo all-share index gained 0.22 percent, or 3.14 points, to 1,442.55, just above last Friday's previous all-time closing high of 1,440.71.
Total turnover was 518.2 million Sri Lanka rupees, with foreign sales of 171 million rupees and foreign purchases of 20.8 million.
The Milanka index, which tracks Sri Lanka's most highly capitalised and liquid stocks, ended down 0.31 percent at 2,172.77.
Brokers said much of the foreign selling was in conglomerate Aitken Spence and Co Ltd, which led market activity and fell 1.17 percent to 296.25 rupees.
Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd rose 1.27 percent to 20 rupees on continued foreign interest and expected second-quarter earnings within the week. "Some investors are pushing up selected stocks for reasons we can't really understand," one broker said referring to rarely traded stocks that have moved up in recent sessions.
Palm oil manufacturer Carsons Cumberbatch & Co Ltd ended up 20 percent at 12,000 rupees after tumbling 16.7 percent on Monday.
Shares in Acme Printing and Packaging Ltd, which have barely moved this year, jumped 48.65 percent to 13.75 rupees on foreign buying.
Capital markets operator Vanik Incorporation Ltd rose 14.29 percent to 4 rupees on both retail and foreign buying.