Sri Lankan shares end higher as country to repay $2.6 billion in loans

Kitco Media
By Reuters
Published:
Updated:
Reuters
Feb 21 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan shares closed higher on Tuesday after the country's cabinet approved loan repayments worth $2.6 billion in the first half of this year.
* The CSE All Share index rose 0.70% to 9,146.35, marking its fourth straight session of gains.
* The approved loan repayments, in line with the country's debt suspension plans, will include $2 billion in foreign loan repayments and $540 million in interest payments.
* Repayments will also include $709 million in dollar-denominated Sri Lanka Development Bonds and $46 million in interest payments.
* Sri Lanka's National Consumer Price Index eased year-on-year to 53.2% in January, after a 59.2% rise in December, the statistics department said after the markets closed on Tuesday.
* The trading volume on the CSE All Share index fell to 69.5 million shares from 98.2 million in the previous session.
* The equity market's turnover rose to 2.42 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($6.70 million) from 2.28 billion rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data.
* Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading stocks worth about 629.9 million rupees, while domestic investors were net buyers, purchasing 2.27 billion rupees worth of shares, the data showed.
* For a report on global markets, click ($1 = 361.0000 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.