Sri Lankan shares closed higher on Tuesday, supported by gains in financial stocks.
* The CSE All-Share Index closed up 0.31% at 7,605.53 on Tuesday. The index, which has clocked gains in four out of the last five sessions, is up 12.3% this year.
** Rating agency Fitch on Tuesday affirmed the country at "CCC", which indicates a real possibility of a debt default.
* Fitch also said Sri Lanka's medium-term debt service challenges are substantial and pose risks to sovereign's debt repayment capacity.
* Sri Lanka has reported 225,922 total confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, and 2,203 deaths, according to health ministry data.
* The island nation lifted travel restrictions on Monday, but has fully vaccinated only 2.5% of the country's population so far, Johns Hopkins datashowed.
* On Tuesday, financial firms Browns Investments and LOLC Finance were among the top boosts, adding more than 3% each.
* Trading volume fell to 68 million from 69 million in the previous session.
* Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth 43 million rupees, exchange data showed.
* Equity market turnover was 1.75 billion rupees, according to exchange data.
(Reporting by Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel) ((Chandini.M@thomsonreuters.com; +918061822697;))
