Reuters: Shares ended higher for a second straight session on Wednesday, following a market holiday on Tuesday, with consumer staples stocks contributing to over half of the session’s gains.

The benchmark CSE All Share Index closed 0.58% higher at 5,359.99.

Browns Investments PLC, a firm that invests in the agriculture sector, gained 13.04%, while plantation manager Carson Cumberbatch PLC rose 12.64%, among the session’s top boosts.

The island nation’s most valuable stock John Keells Holdings PLC fell 0.8% and was the biggest drag.

Trading volume on the CSE All Share Index fell to 144.9 million, from 70.1 million in the previous session.

Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 686.5 million rupees ($ 3.71 million) worth of shares.

Equity market turnover was 1.79 billion rupees, exchange data showed.

The Sri Lankan rupee was last quoted at 185.20 against the dollar, according to Refinitiv data.

Steady progress at weekly bill auction continues