Mar 01, Colombo: Sri Lanka stocks fell again today at the Colombo Bourse along with the Asian markets as local investors sold blue chips raking profits after recent gains. Stock markets continued to tumble across Asia on Thursday despite a recovery in Wall Street yesterday.

The main Colombo All Share Price Index lost 15.62 points or 0.52% to close at 2,967.27 while the more volatile and highly capitalized Milanka Price Index fell by 20.26 points or 0.48% to close at 4,168.00. The turnover was average at 429.5 million rupees while the trading volume closed at 21.8 million shares.

Asian Alliance dominated the turnover today with 79.8 million rupees closing up by 2.44% at 21.00 rupees in a trade of 3.8 million shares. Conglomerate John Keells Holdings fell 0.53% to 188.00 rupees trading 304,700 shares. Market heavyweight Dialog Telekom remained flat at 27.50 rupees trading 1.72 million shares while the fixed-line operator Sri Lanka Telecom fell 1.76% to 41.75 rupees trading 1.06 million shares.

Other major contributors to the turnover included Nawaloka Hospitals (8,213,500), Distilleries (188,300), Lanka IOC (479,400), Asiri Surgical (712,000), Touchwood (105,400), Tokyo Cement - Non Voting (233,700), Colombo Land (627,300), Asia Capital (170,100) and Vanik (784,800).

Only Healthcare sector posted a significant gain of 1.34%. Information Technology, Manufacturing, Investment Trusts, Land and Property and Construction and Engineering sectors posted losses over a percent.

Bogala Graphite gained 2.00 rupees or 9.52% to top the gainer’s list. The other top gainers included Pegasus Hotels (8.33%), Colombo Land - warrants (6.25%), Associated Electrical Corporation (5.63%) and Bairaha Farms (4.88%).

Beruwela Walk Inn lost 13.00 rupees or 22.41% placing it at the top of the loser’s list. The other top losers included Browns Beach Hotel (-9.57%), Tess Agro (-9.09%), Samson International (-8.18%) and Touchwood (-7.20%).

Rupee ended slightly weaker against the dollar today according to the Central Bank figures buying at 108.30 rupees and selling at 109.36.