CSE opens week in red; down to over three-month low

Tuesday, 21 July 2026 07:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo stock market continued its bearish-run, opening the week in the red with main index falling to a more than three-month low.

With 193 counters ending in red against just 32 that gained during the session, the ASPI was down a sharp 0.92% or 197.31 points at 21,208.10 and the active S&P SL20 was down 0.94% or 56.46 points at 5,943.22.

Market turnover was over Rs. 2.6 billion on nearly 66.5 million shares traded and foreign investors emerged as net buyers on a net inflow of Rs. 23.5 million.

DIAL, COMB, RICH, JKH and CARS were the major contributors to the ASPI decline.

First Capital Research said investor sentiment remained subdued amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, weighing on market confidence. HNW investor participation remained active, supported by several negotiated crossings, while retail participation was at average levels.

The food and staples retailing sector led the daily turnover with a share of 43%, followed by the food beverage & tobacco, and capital goods sectors collectively contributing 27%.