CSE breathes after CBSL keeps rates steady

Thursday, 23 July 2026 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo stock market ended a three-session losing streak to close yesterday in the green buoyed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s monetary policy decision to hold rates steady.

The ASPI ended up 0.02% or 3.83 points at 21,149.56 but the S&P SL20 ended down 0.21% or 12.39 points at 5,932.62.

Turnover was over Rs. 3.5 billion on over 91.1 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net sellers on a net outflow of Rs. 241 million.

First Capital Research said investor sentiment remained positive following the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s decision to maintain policy interest rates, supporting buying interest despite the mixed performance of the benchmark indices.

Both HNW and retail investor participation remained high during the session, contributing to overall market activity. The main positive contributors to the ASPI were SEYB, LION, PKME, CARG, and SEMB.X.

The real estate management and development sector led the daily turnover with a share of 65%, amid higher number of crossings seen in ONAL, followed by the banking, and diversified financials sectors collectively contributing 15%.