CSE extends rally to second session

Thursday, 24 September 2026 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo stock market yesterday extended its rally into a second session despite a late sell-off due to profit taking.

With 110 counters closing in green against 89 in red, the ASPI ended up 0.15% or 31.14 points at 21,085.15 and the S&P SL20 index was up 0.31% or 18.64 points to 5,947.50.

Market turnover was over Rs. 1.3 billion on over 83 million shares traded and foreign investors were net sellers on a net outflow of Rs. 2.6 million.

The top contributors to the APSI were COMB, DIAL, OSEA, HMN and HHL.

First Capital Research said the bourse continued its positive momentum during the first half of trading, supported by the positive sentiment following the previous day’s credit rating upgrade. However, profit-taking activity emerged later in the session, prompting the market to retreat from its intraday highs before recovering to close in positive territory.

Turnover remained below average, supported primarily by HNW participation, while retail activity remained slightly subdued as investors largely maintained a wait-and-see approach. The capital goods sector led the daily turnover with a share of 25%, followed by the banking, and materials sectors collectively contributing 44%.