Sri Lankan shares closed higher on Wednesday, aided by gains in consumer staple and financial stocks. * The CSE All Share index settled up 0.29% at 10,714.92. * Melstar Information Technologies and LOLC Finance PLC were the top gainers on the CSE All Share, rising 7.1% and 2.2%, respectively. * Trading volume on the index rose to 29.8 million shares from 15 million in the previous session.

* The equity market's turnover rose to 768.9 million Sri Lankan rupees ($2.38 million) from 335.6 million rupees in the previous session, according to exchange data. * Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading stocks worth 159.6 million rupees, while domestic investors were net buyers, purchasing shares worth 675 million rupees, the data showed. * For a report on global markets, click ($1 = 322.5000 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Aleef Jahan; Editing by Shweta Agarwal)