CSE closed above 20,000 ASPI with strong investor participation

By Almas Equities Research 

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed a strong upward trend today, with both the All Share Price Index (ASPI) and the S&P SL20 Index closing higher. The ASPI advanced by 289.69 points (+1.45%) to close at 20,218.36, surpassing the 20,000 milestone, while the S&P SL20 gained 114.26 points (+1.98%) to end at 5,894.84. Turnover stood at LKR 9.54 Bn, with 332.35 Mn shares traded, as investor activity increased notably, driven by fundamentally strong counters amid the ongoing release of quarterly results. Crossings contributed LKR 0.809 Bn, led by LOLC.N with LKR 0.142 Bn in turnover, while JKH.N recorded the highest volume with 2.5 Mn shares.

The Capital Goods sector emerged as the top sectoral contributor, accounting for nearly 22% of total turnover. A total of 140 companies boosted the ASPI, while 78 recorded declines. COMB.N led the positive contributors with LKR 370.62 Mn turnover from 2.06 Mn shares, supported by DFCC.N, LOLC.N, NTB.N, and SAMP.N. Notably, SING.N posted a sharp 24.89% price increase, while SIRA.N saw heightened trading activity.

On the downside, PKME.N recorded the largest negative impact with a turnover of LKR 190.41 Mn from 1.59 Mn shares. Other notable laggards included HAYL.N, AEL.N, VONE.N, and HHL.N, which contributed to downward pressure. Despite select declines, overall market sentiment remained strong, supported by robust turnover and broad-based gains across multiple sectors.