CSE edges down on muted investor sentiment

Friday, 15 May 2026 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo stock market edged down to close in red yesterday on subdued investor sentiment, despite an early-session rally which saw the ASPI peak at 22,984.31 points.

The benchmark index ended down 0.09% or 20.79 points at 22,899.53 and the active S&P SL20 was down 0.03% or 2.15 points at 6,267.26.

Market turnover was nearly Rs. 2.62 billion on over 180 million shares traded with foreign investors as net sellers on a net outflow of Rs. 116 million.

First Capital Research said the bourse witnessed a mixed session as investor sentiment remained subdued amid the uncertain geopolitical backdrop, coupled with a moderation in earnings noted in the interim results for the last quarter. The top negative contributors to the index were DIAL, HHL, HNB, LOLC and DOCK.

Both retail and HNW activity remained muted. The capital goods sector emerged as the top contributor to turnover, accounting for 36%, followed by the materials and banking sectors, which jointly contributed 27%.