Colombo, Sri Lanka – 01 October 2026 – The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) commenced the new month with a positive trajectory, as the benchmark All Share Price Index (ASPI) recorded a modest gain of 0.33% today, closing above the 20,800 mark. This upward movement signals a cautious but optimistic start to October amidst ongoing economic adjustments.
Index Performance Overview
On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the ASPI advanced by 67.97 points to settle at 20,880.90. The S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index (S&P SL20), which tracks the top 20 liquid and large-cap companies, also saw a positive movement, gaining 7.49 points or 0.13% to close at 5,901.65.
Despite today’s positive performance, both indices reflect the year-to-date challenges facing the market. The ASPI’s Year-to-Date (YTD) return stands at -7.71%, while the S&P SL20 shows a YTD return of -4.15%. For perspective, the ASPI’s highest YTD was 23,992.11 and its lowest was 20,264.01, indicating significant volatility throughout the year. Similarly, the S&P SL20 registered a YTD high of 6,750.50 and a low of 5,651.41.
The Total Return Index (ASTRI) for All Share closed at 32,891.44, up from 32,784.11 the previous day. The Total Return Index for S&P Sri Lanka 20 (TRI S&P SL20) reached 12,533.80, up from 12,517.90.
Turnover and Investor Activity
Market turnover for the day reached Rs. 1,434,105,673.35, primarily driven by equity trading. The total market capitalization stood at Rs. 7,563,176,383,110.25, reflecting a daily change of 0.20% from the previous day.
Investor participation showed a notable net foreign outflow:
- Domestic Purchases: Rs. 1,388,672,160.50
- Domestic Sales: Rs. 1,294,467,001.20
- Foreign Purchases: Rs. 45,433,512.85
- Foreign Sales: Rs. 139,638,672.15
- Net Foreign Flow: -Rs. 94,205,159.30
The total volume of turnover amounted to 65,390,388 shares across 10,624 trades. Year-to-date, the average daily turnover is Rs. 3.66 billion, with an average daily share volume of 141.87 million and 27.51 thousand trades.
Key Market Multiples and Trading Statistics
Market multiples for the day included a Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.80x, a Price-to-Book Value (P/BV) ratio of 1.25x, and a Dividend Yield (DY) of 3.18%. Out of 289 listed companies, 255 were traded today.
Market Contributors and Performance Highlights
DIALOG Axiata PLC (DIAL.N) was a significant positive contributor to the ASPI, adding 19.44 points. Other positive contributors included SINS.N (8.66 points), LION.N (7.28 points), CARS.N (7.23 points), and LOLC.N (7.08 points).
Conversely, LOFC.N (-6.89 points), BUKI.N (-5.75 points), CIC.N (-5.47 points), BREW.N (-4.68 points), and LAMB.N (-4.54 points) were among the top negative contributors.
Top Gainers:
- SMB Finance PLC (SEMB.X0000): +33.33% to Rs. 0.40
- SMB Finance PLC (SEMB.N0000): +9.09% to Rs. 1.20
- Citrus Waskaduwa PLC (CITW.N0000): +6.67% to Rs. 1.60
Top Losers:
- Mahaweli Coconut Plantations PLC (MCPL-N-0000): -9.52% to Rs. 47.50
- Tess Agro PLC (TESS.X0000): -6.67% to Rs. 1.40
- Ramboda Falls PLC (RFL.N0000): -6.25% to Rs. 22.50
Sectoral Performance
Analysis of GICS Industry Groups by YTD return shows varied performance across sectors:
- Top 5 Performing Sectors (YTD Return):
- Telecommunication Services: 46%
- Commercial & Professional Services: 24%
- Real Estate Management & Development: 17%
- Transportation: 3%
- Health Care Equipment & Services: 2%
Corporate Announcements
Several corporate announcements were made today, reflecting ongoing activities within listed entities:
- Right Issues: Kerner Haus Global Solutions PLC and Singer Finance (Lanka) PLC announced provisional dates for their upcoming Right Issues, with Kerner Haus’s XR Date set for October 2, 2026.
- Scrip Dividends: Ceylon Land & Equity PLC, Galle Face Capital Partners PLC, Maharaja Foods PLC, Renuka Agri Foods PLC, Renuka Foods PLC, and Renuka Holdings PLC declared scrip dividends.
- Cash Dividends: Notable cash dividends were declared by Mahaweli Coconut Plantations PLC (Rs. 3.00 per share), Lake House Printers and Publishers PLC (Rs. 4.00 per share), JF Packaging PLC (Rs. 0.50 per share), and Raigam Wayamba Salterns PLC (Rs. 0.25 per share), among others.
- Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs): Agarapatana Plantations PLC, Dialog Axiata PLC, Kerner Haus Global Solutions PLC, Kotagala Plantations PLC, and Singer Finance (Lanka) PLC scheduled EGMs for various purposes.
- Annual General Meetings (AGMs): ACL Cables PLC, Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, Ceylon Tea Brokers PLC, Kelani Cables PLC, Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC, and others conducted or announced AGMs.
- Director Dealings: Mr. S.H. Jayasuriya, Director – Finance of Mercantile Investments and Finance PLC, disclosed a share purchase.
The CSE’s performance today indicates a positive start to October, with investors keenly watching for sustained growth and further corporate developments in the coming weeks.
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