CSE slips in mid-morning trade ahead of interim budget presentation

By Hiran H. Senewiratne

Sri Lanka’s share market evinced some downward trends yesterday as it slipped in mid-morning trade after having opened stronger ahead of the 2022 interim budget, to be presented in parliament by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as Finance Minister today.

Both indices moved downwards. All- Share Price Index went down by 60.92 points and S and P SL20 declined by 29.1 points. Turnover stood at Rs 1.2 billion with no crossings. In the retail market top seven companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were; Expolanka Holdings Rs 244 million (1.5 million shares traded), Lanka- IOC, Rs 153 million (929,000 shares traded), Lankem Development Rs 40.5 million (1.5 million shares traded), Bogawanthalawa Plantations Rs 36.2 million (538,000 shares traded), Aitken Spence Rs 33.3 million (268,000 shares traded), CTC Rs 30.4 million (49,000 shares traded) and Hayleys Fabrics Rs 29.4 million (829,000 shares traded). During the day 51.3 million share volumes changed hands in 20000 share transactions.

Yesterday the Central Bank’s dollar buying rate was Rs 357.80 and the selling rate Rs368.78.