Sri Lankan shares hit an all-time high on Tuesday, and marked their fifth straight session of gains, boosted by financial stocks.
* The CSE All-Share index climbed 1.4% to 12,800.54. The index started 2022 with sharp gains on Monday after recording an 80% surge last year. The index's winning streak is the longest since late October, when it gained for eight consecutive sessions.
* Equities around the globe have seen a positive start to the year as investors brushed aside concerns that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus could derail economic recovery.
* In Colombo, financial solutions provider LOLC Finance and conglomerate LOLC Holdings were the biggest boosts to the index, rising 13.1% and 6.7%, respectively.
* The equity market's turnover was 10.81 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($53.32 million) on Tuesday, according to stock exchange data.
* Trading volume rose to 806.4 million shares, from 773.9 million shares in the previous session.
* Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth 709.3 million rupees, exchange data showed.
* Sri Lanka has reported 588,300 coronavirus cases and 15,037 deaths, as of Monday, data from the country's health bureau showed.
* About 63.51% of Sri Lanka's population has been fully vaccinated, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
($1 = 202.7500 Sri Lankan rupees)
(Reporting by Chris Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel) ((chris.thomas@thomsonreuters.com; +91-80-6749-8695;))
