Mixed market breadth drags CSE lower

By Almas Equities Research 

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) closed in negative territory on September 3, 2025, following a highly volatile trading session that saw the benchmark index swing 105 points between its intraday high and low.

At market close, the All Share Price Index (ASPI) shed 14.94 points, or 0.07%, to settle at 20,975.73, while the S&P SL20 lost 22.91 points, or 0.38%, ending at 6,004.70. Market turnover stood at LKR 6.47 billion, supported by a share volume of 260.87 million.

Crossings accounted for LKR 0.49 billion, representing 8% of total turnover. The largest negotiated transaction was recorded in Hatton National Bank (HNB.N) with a value of LKR 138 million, while HPWR.N saw the highest crossing volume of 3 million shares.

The Consumer Durables sector emerged as the most active, generating 21% of total turnover, largely driven by strong interest in Dankotuwa PLC, which contributed LKR 1.19 billion.

Market breadth remained weak, with 98 gainers against 126 decliners.

Top Contributors to the ASPI:

Positive: Cargills (CARG.N) led the upward momentum, adding 13.09 index points, followed by Ceylon Tobacco (CTC.N), Aitken Spence (SPEN.N), Lanka Glass (LGL.N), and Aitken Spence Hotels (AHUN.N).

Negative: Richard Pieris (RICH.N) was the largest drag, losing 9.06 points, while HNB.N, NDB.N, Commercial Bank (COMB.N), and John Keells Holdings (JKH.N) also weighed on the index.

Among notable trades, Dankotuwa Porcelain (DPL.N) drew significant market attention with heavy board transactions worth LKR 1.19 billion. Despite the activity, the counter closed sharply lower, plunging 20%.