Sri Lanka wraps up debt restructure with Hungary

Thursday July 3, 2025 4:19 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka stocks closed marginally down on Thursday, Colombo Stock Exchange data showed.

The ASPI was down 0.23 percent, or 40.87 points, at 18,100. The S&P SL20 was down 0.22 percent, or 11.64 points, at 5,347.

The ASPI was weighed down by Hayleys (down at 168.25), C T Holdings (down at 585.00), Colombo Dockyard (down at 94.80), Ceylon Grain Elevators (down at 310.50), and Sampath Bank (down at 126.00).

“We are seeing some consolidation,” Shadini Silva, Co-Head of Research at Softlogic Stockbrokers told EconomyNext. “We saw a significant rise in the market in the last few days, so a cooling off follows.”

Sentiment was still positive among local, retail investors driving market sentiment, she said, with interest seen in selective, affordable counters, particularly in mid- to small-caps.

“Some participants are accumulating, some are booking profits.

“The upcoming US tariffs announcement on July 9 is also weighing on investors’ minds.”

Turnover was 5.6 billion rupees, above the daily monthly average. Capital goods (Rs1.4bn) and bank stocks (Rs1bn) contributed the most.

Top turnover generators were John Keels Holdings (Rs606.9mn), L V L Energy Fund (Rs414.4mn), Access Engineering (Rs353.7mn), R I L Property (Rs191.1mn), and CIC Holdings Rs130.8mn).

Crossings were seen on Access Engineering, Hatton National Bank, PABC, Commercial Bank voting and non-voting, Dipped Products, Lanka IOC, Sierra Cables, Seylan Bank, and Hayleys Fabric.

Top foreign buying was seen in Melstacorp, Dipped Products, Galadari Hotels, Dialog Axiate, Seylan Bank, and Sierra Cables.

Top foreign selling was seen in Central Finance, John Keells Holdings, Hayleys, lanka Ventures, Aitken Spence, and Prime Lands Residencies.

Tal Lanka Hotels, which owns the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo, said that 32,228,524 ordinary voting shares of the company have been listed with effect from July 3 after a private placement.

The share closed flat at 21.00 rupees.

Seylan Bank said it has received in principal CSE approval for the listing of its Basel III compliant, 15 billion rupee debenture issue.

The bank stock was trading up at 80.00 rupees. (Colombo/Jul3/2025)