BENGALURU: Sri Lankan shares closed higher for the eighth straight session on Wednesday, posting their best day in more than a year, fuelled by gains in energy and financial stocks.

The CSE All Share index settled up 2.87% - its biggest one-day gain since July 4, 2023 - at 11,659.7.

Sri Lanka’s sovereign dollar bonds gained around 2 cents on Wednesday, after newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved parliament to clear the way for a snap general election in the debt-ridden country.

Industrial Asphalts (Ceylon) and Blue Diamonds Jewellery Worldwide were the top percentage gainers on the CSE All Share index, climbing 33.3% each.

Trading volume on the CSE All Share index rose to 150.9 million shares from 95.9 million in the previous session.

The equity market’s turnover rose to 3.96 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($13.17 million) from 2.01 billion rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.

Foreign investors were net buyers, purchasing stocks worth 245.2 million rupees, while domestic investors were net sellers, offloading shares worth 3.8 billion rupees, the data showed.