Blue chips dominate market
Market traded on a mixed note yesterday with Nestle and Ceylon
Tobacco Company touching all-time highs. Activity was dominated by
blue-chip counters although retail push was seen on selected counters,
especially in penny stocks. The year to date drop in the All Share Price
Index is approximately 7.1% which is relatively better than the previous
year’s drop.
The year ahead should hold better fortune as falling interest rates
coupled with improving global macro-economic environment will encourage
participation in the equity markets. ASI gained 35.87 points (+0.6%) to
close at 5,643.00, MPI lost 1.08 points (+0.02%) to close at 5,119.09
and the S&P SL20 index gained 16.34 points (+0.5%) to close at 3,085.33.
Turnover was Rs. 289.3Mn. Top contributors to turnover were Nestle Lanka
with Rs. 67.2Mn, Sampath Bank with Rs. 45.2Mn and John Keells Holdings
with Rs. 32.3Mn. Most active counters for the day were Asia Asset
Finance, Amana Takaful and Capital Alliance Finance.
Notable gainers for the day were Infrastructure Developments up by
28.6% to close at Rs. 180.00, Capital Alliance Finance up by 27.2% to
close at Rs. 24.80 and Ceylon Leather Products warrant-13 up by 23.8% to
close at Rs. 7.80. Notable losers for the day were Singalanka Chemicals
down by 5.8% to close at Rs. 97.00, Renuka Holdings down by 3.3% to
close at Rs. 35.60 and Marawila Resorts down by 1.4% to close at Rs.
7.30. Cash map for yesterday was 64.27%. Foreign participation was 29%
of total market turnover and net foreign inflow stood at Rs. 106 Mn.
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