Apr 19, Colombo: Sri Lanka stocks ended weaker today at the Colombo Bourse in lackluster trading as investors remained sidelined and blue chips posted losses.

The main Colombo All Share Price Index lost 19.35 points or 0.68% to close at 2,823.93 while the highly capitalized Milanka Price Index fell 26.85 points or 0.69% to close at 3,861.01. The turnover closed at a dismal 83.8 million rupees while the trading volume closed at 2.78 million shares.

Conglomerate John Keells Holdings fell 2.62% to 148.50 rupees trading 75,300 shares to dominate the turnover with only 11.2 million rupees. Market heavy weight Dialog Telekom gained 0.98% to close at 25.75 rupees trading 19,700 shares while the land line operator Sri Lanka Telecom fell 1.92% at 38.25 rupees trading 114,500 shares. Distilleries lost nearly 2% to close at 111.00 rupees trading 64,000 shares.

Other major contributors to the turnover included Tokyo Cement - Non Voting (319,300), Kotagala Plantations (175,700), Merchant Bank (282,700), Lambretta Motors (80,200), and Colombo Land (130,400).

Only Services sector posted a gain of 2.82% while most sectors posted losses. Information Technology sector posted a loss of 6.45% while Diversified Holdingsindex fell 2.03%.

Keells Foods gained 6.25 rupees or 18.86% to top the gainer’s list. The other top gainers included Colombo Land - warrants (15.79%), Serendib Hotel (12.77%), Mercantile Shipping Company (10.16%) and Colonial Motors (6.67%).

Gestetner lost 12.00 rupees or 25.00% placing it at the top of the loser’s list. The other top losers included Seylan Merchant Bank (-12.50%), Elpitiya Plantations (-8.77%), C.T. Land (-8.57%) and Kapila Heavy Equipment (-7.53%).

Rupee fell sharply against the dollar today according to the Central Bank figures buying at 109.56 rupees and selling at 111.03.