CSE posts third weekly gain

REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares extended gains from the previous session on Friday to post a third weekly rise, helped by strength in consumer staples and industrial stocks.

At the close of trade, the CSE All-Share index was up 0.67% at 7,731.15. For the week, the index rose 0.12%.

Dairy products maker Kotmale Holdings and conglomerate Richard Pieris & Company were the top gainers on the index, advancing 24.4% and 9.1%, respectively.

On the CSE All-Share index, trading volume rose to 65 million shares from 56.1 million shares in the previous session.

The equity market turnover was 1.59 billion rupees ($4.44 million), up from 1.05 billion rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.

Foreign investors were net buyers in the equity market, purchasing 30.14 million rupees worth of shares, while domestic investors were net sellers, offloading 1.57 billion rupees worth of shares, the data showed.