ECONOMYNEXT – Diversified financials and capital goods shares pushed the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) to close 0.02 percent lower, data on its site showed.
Market experienced a heavy amount of volatility in trade ultimately dragging down both the indices.
The broader All Share Price Index ended 3.56 points weaker at 22,329.69. Meanwhile the more liquid S&P SL20 index marginally declined 0.01 percent, or 0.79 points to 6,070.33.
Commercial Bank (down 1.50 rupees at 198.50 rupees), DFCC Bank (down 2 rupees at 146 rupees), Richard Pieris and Company (down 70 cents at 40.30 rupees), Bukit Darah (down 22 rupees at 1,012.00rupees), and John Keells Holdings (down 10 cents at 21.00 rupees) dragged the ASPI down.
Capital Alliance Holdings, Prime Land residencies and Renuka Holdings recorded crossings on Wednesday.
Market turnover rose from 2.8 billion rupees to 3.3 billion rupees, while the share volume was 157,311,130.
Industrial Asphalts (Ceylon) was the top loser despite positive investor interest in construction related shares following Cyclone Ditwah’s destruction.
Tokyo Cement (up 2 rupees at 108.25 rupees), Swisstek (Ceylon) (up 70 cents to 96.80 rupees) and Chevron Lubricants Lanka (up 1 rupees to 180.50 rupees) ended the day higher.
There was a net foreign outflow of 130.44 million rupees.
Sri Lanka’s LOLC Finance is listing 15 billion rupees of 11.5 and 10.95 percent debentures, it said in a stock exchange filing.
Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) has warned the public to beware of Bule Ocean Securities Limited and Gladius South Asia scamming people interested in investing the share market.
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In Asia, some equity markets slid as investor sentiment weighed down the markets.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index ended higher despite “directionless trading amid growing uncertainty over the U.S. economy and future interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, after key jobs data showed mixed results,” Japan’s Mainichi newspaper said.
The index closed 0.26 percent higher at 49,512.28.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Karachi Stock Exchange 100 index climbed 0.01 percent to 170,465.91 on Wednesday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ended 0.96 percent higher at 25,468.78.
India’s Nifty 50 was trading 0.16 percent lower at 25,818.55 while country’s Sensex index was 0.14 percent weaker at 884,559.65.
As at 4.00 p.m Sri Lankan time, spot gold was trading at 4,324.65 US dollars, up 0.50 percent. (Colombo/Dec17/2025)
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