Bourse falls for fourth straight session; rupee up

Reuters: Stocks ended weaker for a fourth straight session on Thursday on profit taking in hotel shares while the rupee edged up on dollar sales by a State-run bank.

The Colombo Stock Exchange’s main index dropped 0.5 per cent, or 29.34 points, to close at 5,861.35, its lowest since 10 September. Turnover was Rs. 565.5 million ($ 4.37 million), half of this year’s daily average of Rs. 962 million. The Bourse saw a net foreign inflow of Rs. 16.1 million, extending the net inflow so far this year to Rs. 32.32 billion ($ 249.81 million).

The rupee closed a tad firmer at 129.10/20 a dollar, from Wednesday’s close of 129.50/60 as the Bank of Ceylon sold dollars, dealers said.