ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s shares edge up in mid day trade on Thursday (19), market saw positive sentiments after President Wickremesinghe announced that discussions with lenders are successful giving long awaited green light to investors, an analyst said.
Debt re-structuring talks with India and China are successful, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament as the country is trying get an International Monetary Fund bailout of 2.9 billion US dollars.
“I can tell this assembly that the talks are successful,” President Wickremesinghe told parliament.
“Very soon we will have an answer.”
Shares that are gaining interest by investors are life insurance counters and treasury counters due to falling interest rates coming in through the decision by the Central Bank to limit standing Deposit Facilities (SDF).
All Share Price Index (ASPI) was up by 0.25 percent or 21.32 points to 8,407.50, while the most liquid share S&P SL20 was up by 0.29 percent or 7.51 points to 2,614.89.
The market generated a revenue of 916 million rupees.
Top gainers within the first hour of trade were Sampath Bank, Browns Investment and Hatton National Bank. (Colombo/Jan19/2023)