ECONOMYNEXT – The Colombo Stock Exchange closed up on Friday, data on its site showed.
The broader All Share Index closed up 0.41 percent, or 50.64 points, at 12,404; while the S&P SL20 Index closed down 0.10 percent, or 3.72 points, at 3,672.
Turnover was considerably lower than the preceding days at 2.4 billion.
R I L Property Plc saw the most active trading volumes (Rs133mn) in the day, and the share closed up at 8.30.
Bukit Darah Plc saw investor interest and the share closed up at 397.75.
Activity on index heavyweights John Keells Holdings Plc (down at 205.50) and Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc (flat at 115.00) kept the S&P SL20 Index down, market participants said.
However, JKH subsidiaries were among the major positive contributors to the ASPI: Asian Hotels and Properties Plc (Cinnamon Grand) was up at 74.80, and Ceylon Cold Stores Plc was up at 65.50.
Several plantation stocks continued to take a hit after Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a 70 percent increase in the daily wage of plantation workers to 1,700 rupees.
Watawala Plantations Plc closed down at 90.00, Kelani Valley Plantations Plc closed down at 74.50, Sunshine Holdings Plc closed down at 61.20. Kotagala Plantations Plc closed down at at 6.20.
Kahawatte Plantations Plc closed down at 17.60, Agalawatte Plantations Plc closed down at 34.40, Malwatte Valley Plantations Plc closed down at 60.20. Horana Plantations Plc closed down at 39.60.
Elpitiya Plantations Plc, managed by the Aitken Spence Group, announced it had terminated a shareholder agreement with Dianhong International Limited which set up a joint venture to cultivate and process Chinese speciality teas for export to the high-end market segment in China; The share closed down at 120.25.
Positive contributors to the ASPI included Central Finance Company Plc (up at 130.00), and National Development Bank Plc (up at 77.80). (Colombo/May3/2024)