Thursday Mar 26, 2026
Thursday Mar 26, 2026
Thursday, 26 March 2026 00:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka stocks extended its strong rebound to a second session yesterday, setting another benchmark single-day points gain as it recoups 48% of the Rs. 1.1 trillion value loss since the Middle East war began.
The ASPI ended on the up by 3.79% or 797.62 points at 21,868.85 and the active S&P SL20 was up 3.81% or 225 points at 6,134.23. Market turnover was over Rs. 6.4 billion on nearly 299.5 million shares traded.
The market gained Rs. 284.1 billion in value yesterday, taking the total gain over the past two days to Rs. 528 billion, and recouping 48% of the Rs. 1.1 trillion value loss since the Mideast war broke out on 28 February.
First Capital Research said the bourse gained on easing oil prices driven by signs of progress in the hope of US-Iran war negotiations. Market breadth exhibited strong positivity, with 265 counters closing in the green compared to 16 in the red.
COMB, HNB, MELS, JKH, and HAYL stood out as the principal contributors to ASPI’s upward momentum. Both retail and HNW investor participation surpassed average levels, indicating elevated market activity. Turnover was largely driven by trading in stock counters.
The Food, Beverage and Tobacco sector led the turnover with a 22% share, while the Capital Goods and Materials sectors collectively contributed 34%. Crossings accounted for 15.7% of the total turnover, whereas foreign investors remained net sellers, registering a net outflow of Rs. 525 million.
NDB Securities said the indices closed in green as a result of price gains in counters such as Commercial Bank, Hatton National Bank, and Melstacorp.
High net worth and institutional investor participation was noted in Melstacorp, Lanka Milk Food, and Singer Sri Lanka. Mixed interest was observed in ACME Printing and Packaging, Softlogic Capital, and Colombo Dockyard, whilst retail interest was noted in Industrial Asphalts, Tess Agro, and Browns Investments.
The Food, Beverage and Tobacco sector was the top contributor to market turnover due to Lanka Milk Foods and Melstacorp, while the sector index gained 4.20%. The share price of Lanka Milk Foods increased by Rs. 5 to Rs. 86.10 and Melstacorp moved up by Rs. 8.50 Rs. 173.50.
The Capital Goods sector was the second highest contributor to the market turnover due to Colombo Dockyard, with the sector index gaining 4.28%. The share price of Colombo Dockyard appreciated by Rs. 12.50 to close at Rs. 137.25.
ACME Printing and Packaging and Softlogic Capital were also included amongst the top turnover contributors. The share price of ACME Printing and Packaging gained Rs. 1.80 to Rs. 6.6 and Softlogic Capital was up Rs. 0.70 to close at Rs. 15.
