Investing.com – Sri Lanka stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, Diversified Holdings and Beverages & Tobacco sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Colombo, the CSE All-Share gained 0.03%.
The best performers of the session on the CSE All-Share were Selinsing PLC (CM:SELI), which rose 18.54% or 250.20 points to trade at 1600.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Horana Plantations PLC (CM:HOPL) added 15.21% or 3.30 points to end at 25.00 and Paragon Ceylon PLC (CM:PARA) was up 7.86% or 4.30 points to 59.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Arpico Finance Company PLC (CM:ARPI), which fell 12.78% or 24.90 points to trade at 170.00 at the close. Ceylon Hospitals PLC (CM:CHL) declined 10.33% or 11.30 points to end at 98.10 and Hapugastenne Plantations PLC (CM:HAPU) was down 10.26% or 2.00 points to 17.50.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Colombo Stock Exchange by 99 to 67 and 46 ended unchanged.
Shares in Horana Plantations PLC (CM:HOPL) rose to 52-week highs; up 15.21% or 3.30 to 25.00.
Crude oil for July delivery was down 0.84% or 0.43 to $50.80 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in August fell 1.01% or 0.53 to hit $51.98 a barrel, while the August Gold contract fell 0.08% or 1.05 to trade at $1261.25 a troy ounce.
GBP/LKR was down 0.62% to 210.725, while USD/LKR fell 0.23% to 145.200.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.30% at 93.87.