Strong gains in financial and energy stocks aided Sri Lankan shares to close at an all-time high on Monday.
* The CSE All-Share index were up 0.89% at 9,709.14 points at the closing bell.
* Commercial Leasing and Finance Plc and conglomerate Expolanka Holdings were top boosts to the index, rising 18% and 1.2%, respectively.
* According to media reports, the Sri Lankan government has decided to obtain a loan facility of $500 million from India to purchase crude oil amid a severe foreign exchange crisis in the island nation.
* On Friday evening, data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka showed an increase of 9.2 and 6 index points in the manufacturing sector PMI and the services sector PMI, respectively, for September.
* The expectations for business activities for the next 3 months rose in September following easing of travel restrictions as domestic COVID-19 cases fell, while those for manufacturing activities remain at elevated levels anticipating further improvements in economic condition.
* Last week, the Sri Lankan cenbank held interest rates steady on Thursday as it sought to support economic recovery after increasing rates in August.
* The equity market's turnover was 2.75 billion rupees ($13.75 million), according to stock exchange data.
* Trading volume on the exchange rose to 159.9 million shares, from 142.8 million shares in the previous session.
* Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth about 227.6 million rupees, as per exchange data.
* The island-nation reported 578 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 531,648, while the death toll was at 13,484, according to data from the health bureau.
* About 58.56% of the country's population is fully vaccinated so far, as per Johns Hopkins University.
($1 = 200.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)
(Reporting by Shivani Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) ((ShivaniSingh1@thomsonreuters.com; +91 89 6969 2349))
