COLOMBO: Sri Lankan shares closed lower on Thursday, dragged by utilities and communication services stocks. The CSE All-Share index settled 0.33% lower at 10,801.18. Ceylinco Holdings Plc and Carson Cumberbatch Plc were the top losers on the index, down 0.03% and 3.5%, respectively.

Trading volume on the index rose to 62.3 million shares from 43.7 million shares in the previous session.

The equity market’s turnover rose to 1.49 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($5 million) from 1.46 billion rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.

Foreign investors were net buyers, purchasing stocks worth 32.7 million rupees, while domestic investors were net sellers, offloading shares worth 1.47 billion rupees, the data showed.