Sri Lankan stock market rises as financials, consumer segments gain

The Sri Lankan stock market rose for a second consecutive session on Wednesday after seven straight days of losses, driven by financial and consumer discretionary stocks.

** The benchmark stock index closed 0.29% higher at 5,847.83. The index is down 4.6% so far this year.

** Trading volume on the CSE All Share Index was largely unchanged at 17.2 million, compared with the last full trading day.

** The most heavily traded companies by volume on the index were Browns Investments Plc BROW.CM , Sierra Cables Plc SIRA.CM and Access Engineering Plc.

** The top three stocks that lifted the index were Nestle Lanka Plc, Lanka Orix Leasing Co Plc and Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc .

** Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading 39.1 million Sri Lankan rupees (about $215,000) worth of shares, according to exchange data.

** The Sri Lankan rupee was last quoted at 181.90 against the dollar as of 1121 GMT, 0.22% lower for the day compared with Tuesday's close of 181.50, according to Refinitiv data.

** Equity market turnover was 188.1 million Sri Lankan rupees, data showed.

($1 = 181.9000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi) ((saisachin.r@tr.com; +91 80 6182 2754; Twitter: @sachinr27))