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Sri Lankan shares slid for a fourth straight session on Monday, with consumer and financial stocks accounting for a major portion of the day's losses.
** The benchmark Sri Lankan stock index closed down 0.45% at 5,906.20. The index touched a near two-week low during the session.
** The biggest percentage loser on the index was SMB Leasing Plc, which closed down 16.7%. Blue Diamonds Jewellery Worldwide Plc was the second-biggest decliner, with a 14.3% fall.
** Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading 374.3 million Sri Lankan rupees ($2.07 million) worth of shares.
** The Sri Lankan rupee was last quoted at 181.33 against the U.S. dollar as of 1254 GMT, nearly 0.1% weaker compared with the last session's close of 181.15, according to Refinitiv data.
** Equity market turnover was 489.5 million Sri Lankan rupees, stock exchange data showed.
($1 = 181.2500 Sri Lankan rupees)
(Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) ((Sethuraman.NR@thomsonreuters.com; (+91 8067496031); Reuters Messaging: nallur.sethuraman.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))