Daily trading activity more than doubled the monthly average as Real Estate Management & Development counters dominated dealing, while the ASPI closed only marginally higher
Trading activity on the Colombo Stock Exchange climbed sharply on Tuesday, with daily turnover reaching LKR 3.53 billion, more than double the monthly average of LKR 1.7 billion, even as the benchmark ASPI ended the session largely unchanged.
The All Share Price Index closed at 21,149.56 points, edging up a marginal 3.83 points, or 0.02 percent, while the more liquid S&P SL20 index slipped 12.39 points, or 0.21 percent, to close at 5,932.62. The divergence between the two indices points to activity concentrated in counters outside the top-20 index, rather than broad-based buying across large-cap stocks.
The surge in turnover was driven overwhelmingly by the Real Estate Management & Development sector, which accounted for 65 percent of the day’s trading value. A single counter, Overseas Realty (ONAL), was responsible for 64 percent of total market turnover and 52 percent of total traded volume, reflecting a concentration of large crossings rather than broad market participation. The Banking and Diversified Financials sectors together contributed a further 15 percent of turnover.
Total market volume for the day stood at 91.1 million shares, up sharply from prior sessions, while market capitalisation held largely steady at LKR 7.67 trillion.
On the foreign flows side, overseas investors were net sellers for the session, with outflows of LKR 322.95 million against inflows of LKR 82.25 million, resulting in a net outflow of LKR 240.69 million. This adds to a net outflow of LKR 3.0 billion so far this month and LKR 37.1 billion on a year-to-date basis, continuing a pattern of sustained foreign selling in the local market this year.
Among individual stocks, SEMB led gainers with an 11 percent advance, followed by KGAL and HAPU, both up 9 percent. On the downside, PARA was the day’s biggest loser, falling 14 percent, while AUTO and LITE each declined 7 percent.
Market valuations remained moderate, with the market trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.2 times and a price-to-book ratio of 1.3 times.
Key Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| ASPI | 21,149.56 (+3.83 pts / +0.02%) |
| S&P SL20 | 5,932.62 (-12.39 pts / -0.21%) |
| Daily Turnover | LKR 3,530.99 Mn (+113.2% vs. monthly avg.) |
| Daily Volume | 91.10 Mn shares |
| Market Cap | LKR 7,674.01 Bn |
| Foreign Net Flow (Day) | -LKR 240.69 Mn |
| Foreign Net Flow (MTD) | -LKR 3,001.6 Mn |
| Foreign Net Flow (YTD) | -LKR 37,109.6 Mn |
| Top Turnover Contributor | ONAL (64% of turnover) |
| PER / PBV | 11.2x / 1.3x |
Business Impact
For listed companies, the concentration of turnover in a single real estate counter signals that headline volume figures may overstate genuine breadth of market interest — a distinction that matters for corporates assessing share liquidity or considering capital raises. The continued net foreign selling, now exceeding LKR 37 billion year-to-date, remains a factor for businesses monitoring capital account trends and investor sentiment toward Sri Lankan equities, even as one week’s foreign holdings in government securities rose. For SMEs and exporters, today’s session offers limited direct signal, though sustained institutional and retail domestic participation suggests local liquidity in the market remains intact.
Source: Colombo Stock Exchange market data and publicly available market information.