Market Acuity

The highest price gainer for the week was SMB Leasing [NV] which gained 66.67% to close the week at LKR 0.50 compared to last week's close of LKR 0.30. Lanka Cement followed suit, gaining 43.00% to close at LKR 14.30 while Pegasus Hotels closed at LKR 48.00, up 42.01% week-on-week.

Also amongst the price gainers were Commercial Leasing and Finance Ltd. and Kandy Hotels with gains of 41.18% and 37.10%, respectively.

Swadeshi Industrial Works was the highest price loser for the week, closing down at LKR 8200.00 relative to last week's close of LKR 12825.00 (-36.06% W-o-W).

Shalimar declined 14.73% to close at LKR 810.10 while

Union Chemicals dropped 10.17% over the week to close at LKR 530.00. Last week's upward momentum continued this week with

all three indices recording significant gains.The ASPI gained 6.11% or 316.70 points over the week to close at 5496.85 points. The MPI gained 5.85% (281.37 points) to close at 5093.36 points, while the S&P SL 20 Index increased 105.93 points (up 3.68%) to close at 2983.81 points.

Sampath Bank contributed the most to this week's turnover value, adding LKR 484.08mn and thereby accounting for 8.06% of total market turnover. Asiri Surgical Hospital and E-Channeling accounted for a cumulative 10.29% of total market turnover, an aggregate value of LKR 618.26mn. The daily average turnover value for the week meanwhile amounted to LKR 1.20bn, a 6.20% increase from last week's daily average of LKR 1.13bn.

Market Capitalization too increased 6.11% (or LKR 121.11bn) to LKR 2101.92bn from last week's value of LKR 1980.81bn. The Banking and Finance sector - helped by Sampath Bank which contributed LKR 484.08mn - was the highest contributor to the week's turnover value, accounting for 32.70% or LKR 1.96bn of market turnover.

The Diversified sector contributed a total of LKR 944.64mn or 15.72% to the market's total turnover value while the Manufacturing sector accounted for 9.79% or LKR 588.31mn.

Turnover volume too was dominated by the Banking and Finance sector which accounted for 32.55% of market turnover volume as 239.90mn shares changed hands over the week.

The Diversified sector contributed 16.32% as 120.28mn shares traded over the week, while the Manufacturing sector witnessed 83.95mn share trades (11.39% of total turnover volume).