The Colombo Stock Exchange concluded on a positive note on Friday, as reported by data on its website.
The broader All Share Index finished up by 17.65 points, or 0.17%, reaching 10,586, while the S&P SL20 Index closed at 3,048 points, marking a 0.44% increase or 13.28 points.
Total turnover for the day amounted to 1.3 billion rupees. Notably, a significant contribution to this turnover came from a crossing involving National Development Bank Plc, which accounted for 640 million rupees. The share closed higher at 65.10 rupees.
Market participants noted that the uptick was primarily driven by activity in the Banks sector, which saw transactions worth 769 million rupees. This surge in interest is attributed to the ongoing dividend season for banks, coupled with a resurgence of interest in the equity market amidst declining interest rates.
Several major banks recorded gains, including Sampath Bank Plc (closing at 73.20), Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc (89.50), DFCC Bank Plc (78.80), and Hatton National Bank Plc (163.00).
Apart from the Banks sector, investor interest was also observed in the Capital Goods (110 million rupees) and Food, Beverage, and Tobacco (108 million rupees) sectors.
Active trading volumes were seen in companies such as Union Assurance Plc (trading at 71 million rupees, closing at 45.00) and Expolanka Holdings Plc (trading at 95 million rupees, closing at 134.75).