Sri Lankan shares ended higher on Tuesday as financial and industrial stocks gained, while the country prepares to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

The CSE All-Share index closed 2.48% higher at 8,134.52 points, its biggest percentage gain since March 8

Finance and leasing firm LOLC Development Finance Plc and Commercial Leasing & Finance Plc were the top boosts to the index, soaring 23.1% and 40%, respectively.

The Sri Lankan central bank on Monday evening published data on the manufacturing and services PMI which showed an expansion in business activity for both sectors in the month of July

Sri Lankan shares post weekly fall as virus takes toll

The island-nation reported 167 fatalities due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 6,263.

Cases rose by 3,466 in the last 24 hours, with total confirmed cases now at 362,074.

Data from Johns Hopkins university showed the country had fully vaccinated about 21.17% of its population so far.

State minister Channa Jayasumana said on Tuesday that three new mutations of the Delta variant of the coronavirus have been identified in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan navy is transporting oxygen from India into the country to meet the rise in demand due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant

Trading volume on the exchange rose to 158.5 million from 56.4 million in the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth 122.6 million rupees, exchange data showed.

The equity market's turnover was 2.91 billion rupees, according to the exchange data.