Sri Lanka stocks close down 0.2-pct

Mar 24, 2014 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's stocks close 0.26 percent lower with tobacco stocks losing ground amid thin foreign involvement, brokers said. Central Finance Company closed 8.80 rupees lower at 180.20 rupees and Ceylinco Insurance closed 109.80 rupees higher at 1,499.80 rupees.

DFCC Bank closed 3.70 rupees higher at 144.90 rupees and NDB closed flat at 179.00 rupees.

Nestle Lanka closed 6.00 rupees lower at 1,989.00 rupees and Cargills Ceylon closed 3.40 rupees higher at 138.00 rupees.

Lion Brewery closed 9.50 rupees higher at 399.50 rupees and John Keells Holdings closed 60 cents higher at 219.50 rupees.

JKHâ€™s W0022 warrants closed 80 cents lower at 62.70 rupees and its W0023 warrants closed 1.70 rupees lower at 65.50 rupees.

The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 15.64 points lower at 5,922.23 down 0.26 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 0.89 points higher at 3,246.91, up 0.03 percent.

Turnover was 197.93 million rupees, down from 251.35 million rupees last Friday with 68 stocks close positive against 111 negative.

Tokyo Cement closed 1.00 rupee higher at 36.00 rupees with market transactions of 22.88 million rupees contributing to 12 percent of the daily turnover.

Foreign investors bought 50.90 million rupees worth shares while selling 38.29 million rupees of shares.

Asiri Surgical Hospital closed 1.80 rupees lower at 12.20 rupees and Bimputh Finance closed 3.40 rupees lower at 50.50 rupees, attracting most number of trades during the day.

Ceylon Tobacco Company closed 60.20 rupees lower at 1,031.90 rupees contributing most to the index drop.