Sri Lankan markets end lower as financials, property stocks weigh

Sri Lankan shares closed lower on Tuesday, as heavyweight financial and real estate stocks weighed on the benchmark index.

** The CSE All Share Index closed down 0.41% at 4,780.22, and has lost 22% so far this year.

** Property developer Overseas Realty Ceylon Plc, which fell 10.95% and Commercial Bank of Ceylon, down 6%, were among the biggest drags on the index.

** Trading volume on the benchmark index was 52.4 million, compared with 94.7 million in the previous session.

** Foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 469.5 million Sri Lankan rupees ($2.52 million) worth of shares, according to exchange data.

** The Sri Lankan rupee was last quoted at 186 against the U.S. dollar as of 1219 GMT, 0.27% weaker compared with last session's close of 185.5, according to Refinitiv data.

** Equity market turnover was 1.03 billion Sri Lankan rupees, data showed.

($1 = 186.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Derek Francis; editing by Uttaresh.V) ((derek.francis@thomsonreuters.com))