Shares see best oneday gain since March as financials surge

REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares closed over 3 percent higher yesterday, notching their biggest intraday gain since March, boosted by financial and industrial stocks.

The CSE All-share index closed 3.69 percent higher at 9,269.65 points.

Commercial Leasing and Finance and conglomerate Expolanka Holdings PLC were the top boosts to the index, rising 49.75 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively.

Sri Lanka Central Bank said yesterday the country’s merchandise export sector has shown a notable improvement in 2021 compared with the pandemic-affected 2020.

Export earnings have averaged US $ 985 million during the eight months ending August 2021, compared with a monthly average of US $ 837 million in 2020, the apex bank said.

The equity market’s turnover was about Rs.6.77 billion, according to stock exchange data.