CSE posts worst fall in 28 months on foreign selling

Reuters: Shares fell over 1% yesterday, the sharpest in nearly 28 months, as continued foreign selling and concerns about lower economic growth hurt sentiment, stockbrokers said.

Foreign investors sold the Nation’s risky assets for an eighth successive session, extending the foreign outflow to Rs. 841.4 million ($ 5.32 million).

The Colombo stock index ended 1.07% weaker to 6,128.34, its biggest intraday percentage fall since 9 March 2016. The index closed lower for 15 sessions in 17, and marked its sixth straight weekly drop last week.

“Foreign selling triggered the market fall. We still do not see government funds actively coming into the market, and political uncertainty also weighed on sentiment,” said First Capital Equities CEO Jaliya Wijeratne.

Foreign investors net sold equities worth Rs. 311.2 million ($ 1.97 million), extending the year-to-date foreign outflows to Rs. 1.64 billion this year.

Turnover was Rs. 756 million, less than this year’s daily average of Rs. 935 million.

Shares in top-listed lender Commercial Bank of Ceylon ended 0.2% lower, top conglomerate John Keells Holdings closed 1.9% lower, and Sri Lanka’s leading mobile phone service provider Dialog Axiata closed 1.4% weaker.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said early this month that the economy was likely to grow about 4.5% this year, below a Central Bank estimate of 5%.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on 20 June that Sri Lanka’s economy remained vulnerable to adverse shocks because of sizable public debt and large refinancing needs.

Ratings agency Moody’s said on 27 June that a strengthening dollar since mid-April has increased the credit risk of several emerging markets, including Sri Lanka, due to currency depreciation.

Moody’s said a strong dollar would also lead to a drop in foreign exchange reserves of countries such as Argentina, Ghana, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Zambia.