By Hiran H.Senewiratne
The CSE fell in mid-day trade yesterday, having pulled back after continuously being on the green in the past sessions. But banking sector counters showed some selling pressure due to certain comments in the media during the weekend on domestic debt restructuring, analysts said.
The market moved to green with a leap on Friday, generating over Rs 4 billion due to credit assurance from the Paris Club, Non Paris Club and bond holders on the matter of obtaining the IMF bail-out package, market analysts opined.
However, there’s a pull- back consequent to certain media articles on domestic debt restructuring, which resulted in impairing investor perception to greater extent, especially in the banking sector, market analysts added.
Consequently, both indices moved downwards. The All- Share Price Index went down by 78.4 points and S and P SL20 declined by 20.2 points. Turnover stood at Rs 2.3 billion with five crossings. Those crossings accounted for 30 per cent of revenue, analysts explained.
The companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were, Expolanka Holdings, which crossed 900,000 shares to the tune of Rs 172.8 million, its shares traded at Rs 492, JKH 1 million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 145 million, its shares fetched Rs 145, Sampath Bank one million shares crossed for Rs 45.5 million, its shares traded at Rs 45.50, Dialog Axiata 2.6 million shares crossed for Rs 26 million, its shares fetched Rs 10 and Agstar PLC 1.48 million shares crossed for Rs 23 million, its shares traded at Rs 15.60.
In the retail market top seven companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were, JKH Rs 308 million (2.1 million shares traded), Expolanka Holdings Rs 288 million (1.5 million shares traded), Aitken Spence Rs 119 million (794,000 shares traded), Lanka IOC Rs 87.1 million (434,000 shares traded), Expact Corrugated Cartons Rs 75.5 million (4.5 million shares traded) and Softlogic Capital Rs 70.6 million (4.2 million shares traded). During the day 73.8 million share volumes changed hands in 17000 transactions.
The banking sector should explore restructuring loans of salaried employees hit by progressive tax, Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said as progressive income taxes were imposed at lower thresholds amid high inflation following a sovereign default.
There have been complaints mainly by picketing state enterprise executives and also other workers of such agencies, such Sri Lanka Port Authority, that high progressive taxes were putting their bank accounts into overdraft after loan installments were cut.
Yesterday, the Central Bank announced the US dollar buying rate as Rs 359.99 and selling rate as Rs 370.18.
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