ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Colombo Stock Exchange closed down on Friday, with the ASPI sliding 5.4 percent from last week when Cyclone Ditwah hit.
Investor sentiment was low, and selling pressure was seen in a volatile market, brokers said.
The All Share Price Index (ASPI) slid 1.51 percent from previous close, or 329.51 to 21,497.08; while the more liquid S&P SL20 closed 1.74 percent, or 105.03 points lower, at 5,925.63.
“A bit of selling pressure is continuing broadly in line with what we anticipated,” Dimantha Mathew, Chief Research and Strategy Officer at First Capital Holdings PLC told EconomyNext.
Mathew said that retail investors are booking profits or minimising losses as the market remain volatile following the disaster.
Top negative contributors to the ASPI were Sampath Bank (down 3.75 rupees at 137.25 rupees), John Keells Holdings (down 50 cents at 21.00 rupees), Commercial Bank (down 4 rupees at 194.00 rupees), DFCC Bank (down 4.25 rupees at 145.00 rupees), and NDB (down 3.50 rupees at 136.75 rupees).
However, some interest in construction related shares were seen on Friday as investors anticipate reconstruction projects to start across the flood and landslide affected areas.
Tokyo Cement (Lanka) closed 10 cents higher at 99.00 and Swisstek (Ceylon) traded 90 cents stronger at 88.50 rupees
Market turnover fell 3.9 billion rupees while the share volume was 132,091,942.
Equity markets in Asia traded mixed on Friday.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index ended lower as “selling of exporter shares as the yen strengthened on speculation the Bank of Japan may lift interest rates this month and raise them at a faster-than-expected pace thereafter,” Japan’s Mainichi newspaper said.
The index closed 1.05 percent lower at 50,491.87.
Hong Kong’s Hang sent index rose 0.58 percent to 26,085.08.
Pakistan’s Karachi Stock Exchange 100 index rose 0.43 percent to 166,997.44.
“India’s stock benchmarks closed Friday with gains after the Reserve Bank of India lowered key lending rates by 25 basis points and left room for further cuts, helping bourses nearly erase weekly losses from profit-taking in recent sessions.” Reuters said.
Its Nifty 50 index moved 0.59 percent higher to close at 26,186.45, while the BSE Sensex traded 0.52 percent stronger at 85,712.37.
As at 4.30 p.m Sri Lankan time, spot gold was trading at 4,226.89 US dollars, up 0.37 percent. (Colombo/Dec05/2025)
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