The Colombo Stock Exchange closed marginally lower on Monday, with the benchmark index declining slightly while large-cap stocks gained ground. Market turnover remained subdued at 1.89 billion rupees.
The All Share Price Index fell marginally on Monday, declining 0.03 percent or 6.29 points to close at 21,616.88, according to Colombo Stock Exchange data. Despite the overall index weakness, the S&P SL20 index tracking larger companies bucked the trend, gaining 0.41 percent or 24.62 points to finish at 6,090.34.
Trading activity remained modest, with total market turnover recorded at 1.89 billion rupees. Among the day's movers, several blue-chip stocks posted gains. Sampath Bank led gainers with a 1.75 rupee increase to 141.75, while Dialog Axiata advanced 90 cents to 48 rupees. Commercial Bank rose 1.25 rupees to 205.75, and Melstacorp added the same amount to reach 192 rupees. Technology-focused PickMe posted a more substantial gain of 3.25 rupees, closing at 163.50.
In corporate news, Lee Hedge announced a dividend payout of 2 rupees per voting share, providing some positive sentiment to investors amid the broader market consolidation.
