CSE inches up to new high

THE Colombo stock market ended a volatile trading session yesterday flat, with the benchmark index inching up to a new high.

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The ASPI ended 0.03% on the up, or 7.45 points to 23,813.77 and the active S&P SL20 closed 0.02% lower, down 1.47 points to 6,617.85. Turnover was over Rs. 8.3 billion on nearly 187.3 million shares traded.

Foreign participation in the market activity remained at subdued levels with foreigners closing as net sellers, posting a net outflow of Rs. 144.6 billion.

First Capital said the Colombo Bourse showed mixed sentiment yesterday, with some selling pressure following Wednesday’s gains. ASPI moved up by 7 points, closing at 23,814. S&P SL20 index slightly dipped by 1 point to 6,618.

Top positive contributors for the ASPI were HNB, DFCC, UML, RICH and ASCO, while the impact of positive and negative contributors on overall market performance was broadly balanced. Daily turnover stood at Rs. 8.3 billion, which marks a 48.6% increase over the monthly average of Rs. 5.6 billion.