The Colombo stock market continued its positive momentum for the 12th consecutive day yesterday, with turnover surpassing the Rs. 6 billion mark.
The All Share Price Index (ASPI) gained 0.8%, pushing its year-to-date (YTD) return past the 30% mark, while the more active S&P SL20 rose 0.7%, achieving over a 35% YTD return. A total of 249.6 million shares were traded during the day.
Turnover was led by notable contributions from John Keells Holdings (JKH) at Rs. 1 billion, LOLC Holdings at Rs. 400.7 million, Digital Mobility Solutions at Rs. 292.4 million, Dialog Axiata at Rs. 256 million, and Sampath Bank at Rs. 206.4 million.
First Capital noted the continuation of positive sentiment in the market, with ASPI closing at 13,885 points, up by 110 points or 0.80% from the previous day. After a volatile session on Tuesday, the market rebounded strongly, driven by significant gains in stocks such as BREW, LOLC, SAMP, MELS, and JKH. Capital Goods and Diversified Financials sectors attracted heightened investor interest, particularly in JKH.
Turnover reached a three-week high, marking a 47.6% increase compared to the monthly average of Rs. 4.1 billion. The Capital Goods sector led the turnover contribution at 29%, followed by Diversified Financials and Materials sectors, which jointly accounted for 26%. However, there was a net foreign outflow of Rs. 393.9 million, signaling external investor activity.
NDB Securities highlighted strong participation from high-net-worth and institutional investors in JKH, Melstacorp, and Ceylinco Insurance. Mixed interest was observed in LOLC Holdings, Digital Mobility Solutions Lanka, and Dialog Axiata, while retail investors focused on Lanka Credit and Business Finance, Softlogic Capital, and Agstar.
The Capital Goods sector, driven by JKH, emerged as the top contributor to market turnover, with the sector index rising by 0.28%. The share price of JKH gained 20 cents to close at Rs. 21.20.
The Diversified Financials sector followed, with LOLC Holdings contributing significantly to the turnover and its share price climbing Rs. 22.50 to Rs. 536.25.
Among the top contributors, the share price of Digital Mobility Solutions Lanka rose by Rs. 2.70 to Rs. 64.50, Sampath Bank’s share price increased by Rs. 2 to Rs. 102.75, while Dialog Axiata’s share price remained unchanged at Rs. 10.80.