One counter accounted for nearly a fifth of the day’s LKR 1.55 billion turnover, lifting activity slightly above the monthly average.
Trading on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) was dominated by a single sector and, within it, a single company.
The Capital Goods sector accounted for 36% of total turnover, or roughly LKR 560 million of the day’s LKR 1.55 billion. Banking and Diversified Financials together contributed 26%.
One stock at the centre
Access Engineering PLC (AEL) was the largest contributor to turnover at LKR 272 million, or 18% of the market total. That is more than double the next largest counter. John Keells Holdings (JKH) followed at LKR 113 million (7%), with AAIC at LKR 101 million (7%), SAMP at LKR 100 million (6%) and SCAP at LKR 65 million (4%). Together, the five most traded counters made up about 42% of turnover.
AEL’s weight in turnover was not matched by its share of volume. It accounted for 6% of shares traded, against 11% for SCAP, 10% for JKH and 8% for SEMB. The data do not show the cause, but it means AEL’s trades were larger in value relative to the number of shares changing hands.
What the headline turnover hides
Total turnover of LKR 1.55 billion was 4.0% above the monthly average of LKR 1.5 billion, and 53.8% higher than the previous session. Without AEL’s LKR 272 million, turnover would have been about LKR 1.28 billion, roughly 14% below the monthly average. The above-average reading therefore rests largely on one counter.
Share volume was weaker than turnover. It fell 15.5% to 58.8 million shares, which fits a day driven by fewer, higher-value trades and not by broad participation. The market was otherwise quiet, with the ASPI down 4.89 points (0.02%) to 20,812.93 and the S&P SL20 down 2.24 points (0.04%) to 5,894.16.
Foreign activity
Foreign investors were net sellers overall, with a net outflow of LKR 67.4 million. AEL was one of the exceptions, with net foreign buying of LKR 14.3 million, the third largest net purchase of the day after PABC and TAP. The data do not show whether foreign investors were the counterparties to AEL’s larger trades.
Business Impact
Turnover is often read as a gauge of market activity, but this session shows why the composition matters. When one company supplies nearly a fifth of the total, a headline turnover figure can overstate how many investors are active.
For listed companies outside the leading counters, the day was a reminder that liquidity is uneven across the exchange. For readers in construction, engineering and industrial sectors, AEL’s weight shows how concentrated trading in that sector can be. Business owners following the market as a barometer should look at turnover alongside breadth and volume.
Key Numbers
| Indicator | Level |
|---|---|
| Total turnover | LKR 1.55 Bn |
| Turnover vs monthly average | +4.0% |
| Turnover vs previous session | +53.8% |
| Share volume | 58.8 Mn (-15.5%) |
| Capital Goods share of turnover | 36% |
| Banking + Diversified Financials share | 26% (combined) |
| AEL turnover | LKR 272 Mn (18% of total) |
| AEL share of volume | 6% |
| Top five counters’ share of turnover | about 42% (derived) |
| AEL net foreign flow | +LKR 14.3 Mn (net buying) |
| Overall net foreign flow | -LKR 67.4 Mn |
| ASPI | 20,812.93 (-0.02%) |
Source Attribution
Source: Colombo Stock Exchange market data and publicly available market information.