* The CSE All Share index fell 0.11% to 9,188.48.
* Sri Lanka's trade deficit in January narrowed to $410
million from $857 million a year ago, while merchandise exports
and imports declined 11.3% and 29.2%, respectively, according to
data from its central bank released after markets on Tuesday.
* Sri Lanka's key inflation rate eased to 50.6% in February
from 51.7% in January as food prices cooled off, the statistics
department said on Tuesday.
* The Colombo Consumer Price Index reflected
reduction in food prices to 54.4% in February from 60% last
month, but non-food inflation climbed to 58.8%, the Census and
Statistics Department said in a statement.
* The nation's central bank is also expected to keep
interest rates unchanged for a fourth straight meeting this week
as it strives to keep a cap on inflation while waiting for an
International Monetary Fund bailout.
* Separately, the island nation's cabinet has approved
fast-tracking of a preferential trade agreement with its South
Asian neighbour Bangladesh, a cabinet spokesperson said on
Tuesday.
* Conglomerate Expolanka Holdings and LOLC Finance were the biggest drags to the index, falling 1.4% and
1.6%, respectively, according to Refinitiv data.
* Trading volume on the CSE All Share index fell to 50.4
million shares from 56 million in the previous session.
* The equity market's turnover rose to 1.41 billion Sri
Lankan rupees ($3.95 million) from 1.21 billion rupees in the
previous session, according to exchange data.
* Foreign investors were net buyers in the equity market,
purchasing shares worth 115.5 million rupees, while domestic
investors were net sellers, offloading stocks worth 1.33 billion
rupees, data showed.
* For a report on global markets, click ($1 = 357.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)
(Reporting by Yagnoseni Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi
Majumdar)
Feb 28 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan shares closed lower on
Tuesday, dragged by losses in financial and industrial stocks.
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