ECONOMYNEXT – Colombo Dockyard and banking shares continued to push the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Price Index on Tuesday to close 1.49 percent higher, data on its site showed.
The broader ASPI ended 313.56 points up at 22,445.89 while the S&P SL20 closed 1.22 percent, or 73.56 points higher at 6,111.35.
Banks and retail shares continued to attract investor interest.
The top contributors to the ASPI were Colombo Dockyard (up 21 rupees at 192.75 rupees), Melstacorp (up 7.50 rupees at 174.00 rupees), HNB (up 8.75 rupees at 399 rupees), Richard Pieris & Company (up 2.10 at 43.30 rupees), and Commercial Bank (up 2.50 rupees at 200.75 rupees).
Market turnover dropped to 3.4 billion rupees from the previous session’s 3.7 billion rupees.
Share volume was 101,367,017 with 29,142 trades recorded in the session.
Crossings were seen in Commercial Bank (401.77 million rupees) and John Keells Holdings, Hayleys, RIL Property and Access Engineering.
Construction and related shares also ended the session higher.
The exchange recorded 36.73 million rupees in net foreign outflow led by John Keells (50 million rupees) for the second consecutive session.
Sri Lanka’s Amana Takaful said it was converting 43 million debentures to ordinary voting shares at a conversion price of 4.50 rupees.
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In the region, most of the equity markets ended the session higher as the new year neared.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index has recorded the highest year end closure by climbing 26 percent in 2025, Japan’s Mainichi newspaper said.
Its index closed 0.37 percent higher at 50,339.48 “helped by an artificial intelligence boom and expectations for economic measures under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi,” Mainichi newspaper said.
Pakistan’s Karachi Stock Exchange 100 index rose 0.33 percent to 174,472.79 continuing its positive momentum after hitting a fresh record high.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ended 0.86 percent stronger at 25,854.60.
Singapore’s benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.47 percent or 21.740 points to close at 4,655.380 after closing down on Monday.
Meanwhile, Indian markets slipped “with sentiment muted by foreign fund outflows in thin year-end trade,” Reuters said.
India’s Nifty 50 was trading 0.013 percent lower at 25,938.85, while the Sensex index was 0.024 percent weaker at 84,675.08.
As at 4.30 pm Sri Lankan time, spot gold was trading at 4,391.76 US dollars, up 1.47 percent. (Colombo/Dec30/2025)
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