Monday 19 October 2015

Sri Lankan shares end at over 3-month low

Reuters: Sri Lankan shares closed at their lowest level in more than three months on Monday, falling for a fifth straight session as investors awaited cues from government policies and budget, brokers said.

The main stock index ended 0.05 percent, or 3.39 points, weaker at 7,017.35, its lowest close since July 13.

"There is no excitement. There is a lot of clutter regarding what to expect from the budget," said Danushka Samarasinghe, research head at Softlogic stockbrokers.

"The uncertainties have hit the market and created negative sentiment," Samarasinghe said.

Analysts said investors were cautious ahead of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's policy statement next month outlining his government's economic priorities ahead of 2016 budget announcement scheduled in the third week of November.

Analysts said a government's move to implement a budget proposal of a retrospective tax targeting corporate is the main concern for investors.

Turnover stood at 1.2 billion rupees ($8.5 million), compared with this year's daily average of 1.1 billion rupees.

Foreign investors were net sellers of 174.4 million rupees worth of shares on Monday, extending the year to date net foreign outflow to 2.91 billion rupees worth of equities.

Shares of Cargills (Ceylon) Plc fell 7.31 percent while Sri Lanka Telecom Plc declined 1.66 percent, dragging the main index. 

($1 = 140.9000 Sri Lankan rupees) 

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Anand Basu)

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