* The CSE All Share index rose 2.64% to 9,082.33.
* The index had fallen for a second straight week in the week to Feb. 17.
* The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is considering
approving a loan for Sri Lanka, even without China's assurance
of debt-restructuring support, Bloomberg News reported on
Friday.
* Under a rarely used policy, the global lender may consider
approving the island nation's loan, as the only prerequisite
hindering the go-ahead is China's formal assurance, Bloomberg
reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
* Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC was the biggest gainer in the
consumer staples sector, rising 10.9%
* LOLC Finance PLC rose 3.2%, while Sri Lanka
Telecom PLC rose 10.2%, becoming the biggest boost to
the index, according to Refinitiv data.
* The trading volume on the CSE All Share index rose to 98.2
million shares from 93.3 million in the previous session.
* The equity market's turnover rose to 2.28 billion Sri
Lankan rupees (about $771,000) from 1.28 billion rupees in the
previous session, according to exchange data.
* Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market,
offloading stocks worth about 346.9 million rupees, while
domestic investors were net buyers, purchasing 1.98 billion
rupees worth of shares, the data showed.
* For a report on global markets, click ($1 = 363.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)
(Reporting by Meenakshi Maidas in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane
Venkatraman)
