The Colombo market closed higher today as investor confidence strengthened, with both the ASPI and S&P SL20 advancing on sustained buying in diversified financials and select blue-chip stocks.
ASPI and S&P SL20 advance as diversified financials lead turnover and dividend plays attract traders
The Colombo market registered a clear uptrend today as major indices advanced through the trading session, reflecting renewed investor confidence and selective sectoral leadership. The All Share Price Index (ASPI) ended at 22,318.72 points, up 143.98 points or 0.65%, while the S&P SL20 outperformed, rising 63.65 points or 1.03% to finish at 6,226.03. Market momentum was driven by index-heavy counters and strong performances among blue-chip names, producing an overall positive breadth with 137 gainers against 90 decliners.
Total turnover for the day reached LKR 8.45 billion with 538.15 million shares changing hands. Crossings accounted for LKR 1.99 billion or about 23% of turnover, highlighting continued institutional participation. MERC.N registered the largest crossing turnover at LKR 990 million, while CALH.N led crossing volumes with 8.59 million shares exchanged. The diversified financials sector recorded the highest sectoral turnover at LKR 3.10 billion, a sign that investors are rotating into financial counters viewed as having strong recovery or yield potential.
Top contributors to the indices included JKH.N, which delivered the largest single-stock uplift and materially supported the S&P SL20. Other notable gainers were HNB.N, LFIN.N, COMB.N and PKME.N, each adding to the market’s upward thrust. On the downside, DFCC.N was the principal laggard, with CFIN.N, DIMO.N, FCT.N and NDB.N also registering losses that moderated broader index gains. Market participants noted that illiquid counters within the diversified financials group posted marked gains as selective buying targeted perceived high-potential names.
Investor attention concentrated on CFVF.N after the company announced a LKR 7.00 dividend, prompting a turnover of LKR 358.65 million and drawing dividend-seeking investors seeking attractive yields. The dividend-related activity underscored a thematic interest in yield plays amid improving market sentiment. Overall, the day’s price action and turnover profile point to a market environment where confidence is being rebuilt incrementally, supported by strong sectoral flows, institutional crossings and dividend-driven trading.
Looking ahead, market watchers will focus on whether the current momentum broadens beyond financials into other cyclical and defensive sectors, and whether liquidity patterns—especially large crossings and concentrated turnover—translate into sustained secondary-market participation. For now, the Colombo market’s advances signal strengthening investor conviction, with the S&P SL20 leading the charge while the ASPI consolidates gains on a broader base of stocks.